


Innocence and Instinct

by DreadFox



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Casual Sex, Drug Use, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Recreational Drug Use, Slight Canon Divergence - you'll see in later chapters, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-03-25 05:27:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13827453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreadFox/pseuds/DreadFox
Summary: Elizabeth Callihan just woke up in her worst nightmare. This new world isn't so different from her own. Just like before the Great War, money is what makes the world turn and her only chance to find her son. Stumbling through the wasteland she makes friends, lovers, and enemies along the way.





	1. Innocence

**Author's Note:**

> First five or six chapters will be coming rather quick while I finish edits. I'm also my own worst editor though, so don't hate me when there are spelling/grammar mistakes galore still. The rest will come slower. Sorry for some ingame dialogue, some important stuff to cover though and then I can branch out. 
> 
> I always appreciate constructive criticism or a comment, I'll respond. Enjoy!

“There has to be… a release!” 

Elizabeth banged on the console next to Nate’s pod. Nothing she pressed worked. No movement, no sounds, just her desperate cries reverberated off the steel walls. She could feel the tears escape at the corner of her eyes, chilled by the coolness of her own body. With a final deafening punch to the console, she pulled her hand away. She could feel her hand pulse with the fresh pain. 

“Fuck!” Elizabeth screamed in frustration. She turned her back on her dead husband. _Dead._ The thought hung in the air as the new reality nestled into her mind. That was when she heard the familiar hiss. The pod’s locks released as a cool mist spilled forth from the sides. Elizabeth turned on her heel, looking to Nate. His eyes were open, but the green irises didn’t stir. The dark locks of his hair were frozen to the side of his face. Blood coated the interior of the pod near his head. That’s when she saw the bullet wound to his head. 

Fresh tears started to stream down Elizabeth’s cheeks. “Oh, Nate.” She could barely get the words out. She placed a hand tenderly to the side of his face. He wasn't going to wake, not like she had. He was gone. Elizabeth clenched her fist, using it to brush away her tears. She carefully shut Nate’s eyelids and took the wedding ring from his finger. Before he could thaw further, she pressed more buttons on the console. Eventually, she heard the pod doors close. 

“I’ll find them. I’ll find them and bring Shaun back.”

* * *

It was another day in the Commonwealth for Codsworth. His days were typical for a Mr. Handy with no one to care for. Trim the hedges, dust the rubble. Anything to make the days pass till his family returned. On the rare occasion, excitement would find its way to Sanctuary Hills. Anyone that was still alive learned to avoid the place. Setting enough traps seemed to get the right word out that Sanctuary Hills wasn’t worth the trouble. Leaving corpses to rot at the entrance to the neighborhood helped too. 

The sun was high in the sky before Codsworth decided it was time to trim what was left of the hedges in front of the house. He had barely started when his sensors picked up movement. It was coming just past the Able’s home, in the direction of the vault. Codsworth turned and caught sight of what it was. It was clearly a human. Their hair hung past their shoulders and it was dark, but with the sun it turned to a fine mahogany color. It reminded him of his mistress, who used to spend hours trying to tame her locks. The approaching figure also wore a bright blue jumpsuit and had a pistol holstered to their side. On her left arm, a PipBoy. A rare sight outside the vaults.

When they finally got closer, Codsworth was sure his sensors were finally failing after all these years. He quickly ran a diagnostics of all his systems, but everything was in order. “As I live and breath…” Codsworth hovered closer to her. Sure enough, he was right. His Mistress stood before him once more. “It’s… It’s really you!”

Elizabeth looked startled, her face and eyes red. “Codsworth! You’re still here. So… other people could be alive too?” Codsworth picked up the distress in her voice. He had to perform to his best, however. His Mistress had finally come back after all.

“Well of course I’m still here. Surely you didn’t think a little radiation could deter the pride of General Atomics International? But you seem the worse for wear. Best not let the hubby see you in that state.” Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from Codsworth in response. “Where is Sir, by the way?”

Elizabeth quickly brushed the back of her hand against her cheek below her big brown eyes. “They came into the vault. Maybe you saw them? Armed and wearing strange clothes?”

“Only Ms. Rosa’s boy running around in his Halloween costume, more than a week early.” The boy was peculiar. He wouldn’t cross the bridge back into Sanctuary, but Codsworth was sure he had seen him all alone. “I swear, the nerve of that woman leaving her brat unsupervised. Not like you, mum. You’re the perfect mother. And sir is… you didn’t say, where is sir?”

“Nate…” Codsworth saw water leak from her eyes. Tears. Shaun did that when he cried and needed something. He rarely saw Elizabeth do this action, only after a fight with Nate usually. This time it was different. “He’s gone, Codsworth.”

“Mum… these things you are saying. These terrible things. I… I think you need a distraction. Yes! A distraction! Its been ages since we had a proper family activity. Checkers. Or perhaps charades. Shaun does so love that game. Is the lad… with you?”

“They took him. The one’s who killed Nate. They kidnapped Shaun too.” The tears stopped as quickly as they began. “I’m going to find them. I’m going to get my son back.”

“It’s worse than I thought…” Codsworth finished his scans of his Mistress. She was clearly distressed. The cause could only be one thing. “You’re suffering from hunger induced paranoia. Not eating properly for two hundred years will do that, I’m afraid.”

Codsworth’s scanners spiked further as they assessed Elizabeth. Her eyes were wide. Any anger that was building in her disappeared. “Two hundred years?”

* * *

It took Elizabeth time to come to terms with Codsworth’s revelation. Things were far worse than she thought. Over two hundred years had passed since the bomb dropped on Boston and who knew how much of a head start the kidnappers had. Codsworth was clueless, but she couldn’t blame him. She was still shocked he was functioning after all this time. 

They spent the afternoon clearing out the homes in Sanctuary Hills of peculiar creatures. They were large bugs just like the roaches she found in Vault 111, only these ones looked like a fly and had stingers like a bee. She made good use of the baton she found in the vault, deciding to conserve her ammo. If these flies and roaches were just the beginning of the radioactive nightmares she were to find in what was left of Boston, she needed all the ammo she could get. 

All in all, clearing the neighborhood did little good. Shaun was still gone and she was burning daylight. Codsworth gave her a good place to start her search. He walked her to the edge of town mentioning he believe he had spotted people in Concord, but failed to approach them. 

“Any lead is better than none,” Elizabeth said softly. 

“Yes, Miss Elizabeth. Do be careful, please. I hate to see you leave all ready.”

“Don’t worry, Codsworth. I’ll be back soon enough.” She cracked her first smile as Codsworth bowed his sensors slightly. 

“Oh and mum. Do not fret but there is some debris at the other end of the bridge. Some rabble that tried to break into the home. Not to worry though, I defended the home front!” Codsworth stated this proudly. It only served to make Elizabeth’s stomach turn. 

Before she could let fear consume her, Elizabeth hurried across the bridge and out of Sanctuary. Sure enough, a rotting human corpse along with some kind of mutated dog was just outside of the town. She averted her eyes away from the corpses, assessing the new world she found herself in. Any color from the grass was gone, the radiation sucking it dry. The pavement on the roads were surprisingly still in tact, for lack of a better term. Anything that resembled a tree or bush looked dead. It made her sad. Even after two hundred years, the radiation had done its work and stripped at least this part of the world of life. She wondered just how many people were actually capable of surviving in this wasteland. 

The sound of an animal drew Elizabeth’s attention as she walked down the road. She was only a few paces from the Red Rocket truck stop when she saw the source. It was a beautiful German Shepherd dog, its coat gritty, but unmistakable. The dog locked eyes with her when she came to a stop on the road. It wagged its tail and barked, tempting her to come closer. As if under compulsion, she took those methodical steps into the parking lot. It bounded at her, barking like mad. Elizabeth recognized that demeanor in a dog. It was one of unmistakable pure joy. The dog came to a stop, sitting right in front of her with its tail still wagging. 

“Hey boy. What are you doing here by yourself?” Elizabeth knelt down to his level. She offered a hand to the dog to sniff. He gave her a once over then bowed his head. She scratched the top of his head, working her way down to the back of his neck. The dog barked, licking her hand in response. _Yup, that's the spot._ She looked around, but she was met only with silence. “No owner huh? Wanna come with me?” The dog barked again in response and stood at attention. Satisfied, Elizabeth stood as well.

The dog reminded her of her own dog before the war, Max. Nate adopted him after coming back from his deployment. Elizabeth wasn’t thrilled with a baby on the way, but she grew to enjoy Max’s company. The dog was well behaved, always cautious around Shaun. A week before the bomb fells, however he got off leash at the park and never came home. 

“I’ll think of a good name for you,” Elizabeth said. 

The dog cocked its head at her. _Can he understand me?_ He didn’t give her time to think on it. He sauntered to the building, looking over his shoulder. He clearly wanted her to follow him. The Dog pushed on the door into the truckstop, the whole thing toppling over. The sound made Elizabeth jump, but her curiosity led her further in. The place was abandoned, picked over who knew how long ago. A thick layer of dust was evidence enough. 

Then she heard a voice. Her head snapped to another closed door in front of her. Elizabeth drew her pistol, not wanting to take any chances. Codsworth warned her that not everyone she met would be kind. Taking slow steps, she pushed open the door and found herself in a garage. It was loaded with tools, but nothing she was willing to take with her. She found the source of the noise in the corner, an old radio still working. The voice became clear when the door opened.

_This is Diamond City Radio!_

It was no station Elizabeth had ever heard of. She didn’t think it was possible for there to be reruns in the apocalypse either. It had to be a sign, a sign of life in the wasteland. It filled her with a little more hope. There were people out here, which meant someone might know what happened to Shaun. She turned off the radio and stepped out of the garage, the dog waiting outside in the parking lot. 

“We gotta go to Concord boy. Better get a move on.”

Luckily, the walk to Concord remained uneventful. Elizabeth crossed paths with more massive bugs, but with the dog’s assistance they were hardly a challenge. She silently decided to herself that she could live with never seeing a massive mosquito again. She regretted ever complaining about bugs when she had gone camping with her parents as a child. The sun was getting low in the sky by the time she had reached Concord. The city was small, but dense enough that there were plenty of tall buildings and townhouses. Most of them were shuttered with no sign of human activity. As she closed in on the city, she could hear soft popping noises followed by a low roar in the distance. The closer she got, the more clear the noises became. Gunfire, punctured by a loud and low roar that she couldn’t decipher. 

The dog hugged her left leg, his teeth barred and menacing growls escaping from his jaws. Elizabeth took that as her cue to draw her weapon from her holster. The weight felt strange. It had been years since she had held a pistol, not counting her time frozen. But she had taken Codsworth’s warning to heart. She needed to be prepared for anything. When they reached main street, Elizabeth found the source of all the noise. 

It was where she saw her first human since leaving the vault. The man was huddled behind a rusted out car. He wore a strange patchwork of clothing, welding goggles hiding his eyes. The gun he had was nothing she had seen before. If she didn’t know any better, she thought it was home made. The man stood from his position, firing on the building at the end of the street. He wasn’t alone either. Four others were on the street, dressed in similar clothes and copying his action. She caught a glimpse of their target and the source of the noise from before. From this distance, Elizabeth couldn’t distinguish much. It was clearly a person who stood on the balcony of the building and he was using a laser rifle of some kind, the source of the roar.

“Hey, there’s another one!” Elizabeth heard a shrill voice right behind her. 

She turned only to be met with a boot to her chest, laying her out flat on the ground. It was a girl, her hair matted and stuck with sweat to the side of her face. Her eyes were wild and she wore clothes similar to the ones on the street. She held a pool stick like it was a sword. Had Elizabeth not seen giant bugs all day, she might have chalked it up as one of the weirder things she had experienced. The girl winded up her foot to kick her again. Elizabeth threw up her hand that wasn’t clutching her pistol. She braced herself for the impact that simply never came. The dog took a stance between Elizabeth and her assailant, sinking his teeth into the girl’s leg. She let out a horrifying screech, swinging her pool stick wildly. She smacked the dog in the snout with it and startled the dog. He was forced to release her leg. 

Elizabeth seized her opening and lunged forward from the ground. She grabbed the pool stick before the girl could hit the dog again. “Stop!”

“Piss off, Bitch. You’re so dead!” The girl stopped trying to swing her pool stick, going for the gun holstered at her hip. Elizabeth, startled, raised her own pistol to the girl’s head. 

“I said stop!” Elizabeth shouted one more time, shaking the gun in her face. They stared at one another, the girl falling still. “Why are you attacking me? I didn’t do anything to you!”

The girl just laughed. She was laughing in her face as Elizabeth held the gun against her head. “You vault freaks never learn… till you’re dead!” The girl went for her gun.

_**“I taught you better than that Lizzy.” Her father’s voice was always stern whenever it came to using the pistol. It was never about playing, but treating it with the respect it deserved. “Tighten that grip. You shouldn’t feel the recoil like that.”** _

_**Elizabeth lined up her shot again, checking the grip she had on the weapon. A delicate balance of not letting the gun give her whiplash, but not so tight that she tired herself out. She fired a shot, hitting her target spot on. The sound of the beer bottle shattering was too satisfying it was hard to not be excited. She grinned ear to ear and lowered the pistol, flicking on the safety.** _

_**“You see that?”** _

_**Her father smiled and moved to stand next to her. “Much better.” She always had to look up to make eye contact with her father. He towered over her, but she could see the pride in his eyes. “Recite the rules for me.”** _

_**“I know the rules, Dad.”** _

_**“Prove it. You give me the top three, you get three more bottles to shoot.”** _

_**Elizabeth frowned but obeyed. Three more beer bottles were lined up on table. They always practiced in the backyard on the patio, facing out towards the woods. Easy to cleanup and no fear of someone actually getting hit by a stray bullet.** _

_**“Assume the gun is always loaded.” Elizabeth switched the safety off once more. Her father nodded and she aimed down the sights at another beer bottle. She squeezed the trigger, the bottle shattered in response. “Be aware of what is behind your target.” Another satisfied nod, another shattered beer bottle. Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath, knowing the final rule by heart. “Point the gun only at something you intend to shoot.”** _

Gunfire had never been so deafening to Elizabeth. Not like this. Blood sprayed against herself and the building behind her. The girl she shot fell back to the ground with a resounding thud. Elizabeth’s hands couldn’t stop shaking. She took careful steps away from the girl before she fell to the ground. She had to center herself, remember where she was. She was in the middle of Concord and gunfire was going off all around her. She also had to remember to keep breathing. She gave the girl the chance to back down and she refused. It was her or Elizabeth, the choice was obvious.

The dog nuzzled Elizabeth's arm, bringing her back to reality. The dog whimpered but he didn’t seem to have any apparent wounds, he was just trying to get her attention. She took another heavy breath, then used the wall to stand. The gunfire was dying down, but it was still close. Elizabeth chanced a look around the building once more. The man on the balcony was still firing his laser rifle, but his enemies were dwindling by the minute. There were only two more on the street. The ones that were on the street shared clothes similar to the girl she had shot. Clearly these were not friendly people. Whatever she knew of the world before, this was a totally different breed. She needed to make the first move or she would never survive long enough to find Shaun. 

Elizabeth took cover behind a nearby car, putting herself on main street. The girl had shouted, but clearly no one paid attention to them. There was too much chaos. She was only a few feet away from the first man she had seen. The dog was at her side, the hackles on his back raised. The dog had a taste and wanted more. 

“Get ‘em, boy,” she commanded. 

The dog slinked forward taking two steps around the car. It waited but no one saw him, the last two preoccupied with the man on the balcony. With speed and precision, the dog sprinted towards the man and latched on to his wrist. The man cried out in pain and dropped his gun. Elizabeth stood up from her position behind the car, exhaled and squeezed the trigger of her pistol. The man slumped in response, the dog releasing his hold. 

It was enough noise to draw the other person’s attention. He spun around and shouted. The dog ran inside the building he was near, getting out of range. Elizabeth fired a few rounds but missed both of her shots. The man turned his sights on her, shooting the car she was hiding behind. Then there was that low and loud roar. The man on the balcony fired his laser rifle and the gunfire stopped. Elizabeth looked over the hood of the car and saw her attacker down. The dog went running to her side. Bloodied, but still unharmed. 

“Hey! Hurry, before more show up!” It was the man on the balcony, calling to her.

Maybe she had actually found a friendly person. Elizabeth didn’t lower her guard however, she kept her pistol drawn. She sprinted down the street, checking each store front she passed. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the building the man was in. She recognized the building instantly, the Museum of Freedom. The man on the other hand was just as strange as the people she had helped him kill. On the top of his head was a hat, one side of the brim turned upwards. He wore a long white duster coat, stained with grime. The weapon he held in his hands was clearly a laser rifle of some kind, but it was nothing she had ever seen before. 

“Please, we need your help.” The man begged. “I’ve got a group of settlers inside! The Raiders are almost through the door!”

“I-I don’t understand.” Elizabeth said.

“Look, I don’t know who you are but we are desperate. You can take that laser musket to have more of a punch.” He pointed to the ground near her. “We’re running out of time!” The man hurried inside the building.

Elizabeth looked to where he had pointed. Another man, dressed in similar clothes was dead on the ground, something she had missed or simply ignored. Near his body though was a rifle, similar to the one that the man on the balcony had. A laser musket he called it. Elizabeth wasn’t about to learn how to use a new gun if she had more people to fight. But she wasn’t going to leave it behind either. She slung the gun over her shoulder and pocketed the bullets. 

She contemplated just leaving, not sure if she could take on anymore raiders. But these people could have also seen who took Shaun. Making up her mind, she walked to the museum entrance and opened the doors.


	2. Ain't That a Kick in the Head

What was reality was becoming harder to distinguish by the minute. How Preston, the strange man on the balcony, talked her into using a suit of Power Armor was beyond her. Elizabeth questioned her capabilities, but it wasn’t like they had much choice. Preston refused to leave the group of settlers alone and no one else was willing to use the armor themselves. Which left her.

Elizabeth ordered the dog to stay with the group and climbed up onto the roof of the Museum. The suit of armor didn’t look to be in the best shape. The left arm of it was rusted and coming apart. She shoved the fusion core into the back of the armor like Sturges, one of the settlers, had instructed her. In response the armor splayed open with its new power source and exposed where she needed to place her arms and legs. She could feel her whole body quiver. This was the last thing she wanted, but the raiders were closing in. She steeled herself and climbed into the armor.

The suit closed around Elizabeth’s body like a clamp. Fresh panic bubbled to the surface until the display came to life. She could see several gauges, that meant nothing to her, come into her field of vision. Everything else was the same though. She tested her own movements. She moved her head, her arms, her legs. Everything responded in kind. Satisfied, she locked her eyes on the downed vertibird on top of the building. 

She climbed into the vertibird and saw the minigun, still attached to its mount. A minigun was certainly better than a pistol or laser musket. She grasped the minigun by its handle and near the trigger and gave it a swift tug. The gun pulled free with ease. Elizabeth didn’t get long to admire her new found strength.

“Boss, we got somebody up here!”

She looked to the building across the street from the Museum of Freedom. The raider who had shouted was on the roof. He pulled out his gun and opened fired on Elizabeth. She recoiled away in an attempt to get out of his range. The bullets merely ricocheted off of the Power Armor. _I’m invincible._ She lifted the minigun and aimed it at the raider. She squeezed the trigger. The monstrosity whirled to life. After a few seconds, the bullets peppered the roof. The raider took several hits, then fell to the ground dead. 

Elizabeth released the trigger and the barrel of the gun stopped spinning in response. New gunfire and Preston’s laser musket filled the air with renewed vigor. She walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. There were still at least five raiders on the ground, all taking shots at Preston who retook his position on the balcony. 

Sturges told her that she could survive a fall from just about any height in the Power Armor. She only hoped he was right as she jumped off the side of the roof to the ground below. When she hit pavement, it cracked all around her from the impact. She walked away unscathed. 

The raiders shouted upon Elizabeth’s arrival. She wasn’t going to give them the chance to regroup against her. She lifted the minigun and squeezed the trigger again. She aimed for two raiders that ducked behind a nearby car. The barrel of the gun spun and released bullets against the car the raiders hid behind. Just as she was about to turn the gun away further down the street, the car she had been shooting exploded in a spectacular fashion. If she hadn’t been in the armor, she would have been knocked off her feat. A plum of smoke and debris flew into the air.

Preston didn’t let up on his end. He fired down the street at the remaining raiders. Elizabeth rebalanced her stance and turned the minigun down the street. The barrage went on for several seconds, neither side taking anyone down. The raiders smartened up and got out from behind the cars, taking cover behind buildings instead. Everything came to a sudden halt when a loud roar interuppted all the gunfire. 

Elizabeth mistook it at first for Preston’s laser musket. Something was wrong with the sound in comparison though. It was more animalistic than the sound of a laser rifle. Near the raiders, down at the end of main street, a sewer cap flew high up into the air. The concrete cracked all around where it once was. A huge, monstrous hand reached out of the hole, bearing several sharp claws. Then Elizabeth saw what exactly the hand was attached to as it pulled itself out of the sewers. It looked like a lizard, but it stood as tall as a bus. Long fangs, with even longer spines went all the way down its back. It stood up on its hind legs as it roared, flexing the claws on its hands.

“What the fuck is that?” Elizabeth screamed. 

Preston couldn’t hear her over all the commotion. He kept a constant pace of cranking the rifle and firing at the beast every chance he could get. Elizabeth followed suit with the minigun. The monster was distracted by the remaining raiders and paid them little mind. It bit one with its powerful jaws, shaking the raider’s body like it was a chew toy. The raider was flung down the street. A female raider tried to escape, firing her pistol back at the beast. Once the beast was finished with the first raider it lunged at the one that attempted to escape. It threw her against a nearby car, piercing her with its claws. 

It had its claws stuck into the car where it had impaled the raider. Elizabeth acted quick. She redirected her fire from the beast itself and aimed for the car to repeat her trick from before. The beast pulled its claws free when the car erupted into an explosion right next to it. Elizabeth released the trigger of the weapon, allowing the dust to clear.

Out of the dust the monster walked forward. It was clearly hurt, blood dripping down the front of its body. It’s face was disfigured, likely from the explosion. Its injuries didn’t slow it down, however. The behemoth barreled forward at break neck speeds. The monster had its sights set on Elizabeth. 

She tried to fire upon the beast, but it kept bobbing and weaving out of the way. The bullets only grazed its hard hide. She tried to back away, but she was running out of street quickly. She nearly tripped when her foot landed on the steps behind her. She looked back just a second to replant her feet in a firm position. When she returned her attention to the monster it was on her. The beast knocked her down to the ground hard. She was forced to stop firing the minigun, but used all her new found strength to not let go of the weapon itself. 

The beast roared in her face and stabbed at the armor with its claws. It didn’t pierce through, but the armor dented into her body and made it feel like she was being punched over and over again. Elizabeth tried to raise her left arm to defend herself, but it merely smacked it away, pieces of the armor falling free. It wrapped its claws into the side of her armor, pulling with all of its strength. She could feel the claw brush up against her body as it attempted to peel open her armor like a tin can. She rolled the minigun so it sat on her chest and pointed directly into the belly of the beast and the gun unloaded into it.

The monster made a blood curdling screech, releasing his grip into the side of her armor and backed away. The underside of the monster was clearly sensitive. It tried to lower itself to the ground to get away from the bullets but Elizabeth didn’t let up. It stood like it was going to unleash another attack, but the beast finally toppled over and didn’t move. 

The street fell silent. Steam rose from the end of the barrel as Elizabeth threw the minigun off of herself. Cool air found its way inside into the armor by her side. She pressed her exposed hand to her side, hitting flesh. Had she waited any longer, the monster would have had her.

Elizabeth tried to put her feet under herself, but everything felt like jelly. Her entire body ached. All she could manage was to roll over onto her side. The sun was gone and her mind drifted off into the new found darkness.

* * *

_**The music was low, the night coming to a slow end. Elizabeth was in Nate’s arms as they swayed to the music. Her dress was far too tight and she was ready to kick off her heels, but she sucked it up. There was only another hour before they could disappear for the evening.** _

_**“Thanks, for doing this,” Nate whispered. He ran his fingers along her hip and up her back. He at least looked comfortable in a tux.** _

_**“You don’t have to keep saying that,” Elizabeth said.** _

_**“I know, but I’m glad you finally agreed to it.”** _

_**They kept swaying, the music growing quieter. Fading.** _

_**Elizabeth groaned, “As soon as the music stops your mother is going to be on us for more pictures.”** _

_**“It is our wedding day, you could at least pretend to enjoy it.” Nate’s voice was stern, but the subtle tease was just underneath.** _

_**A wedding, she remembered that. He asked her twice. It took two times and a bottle of whiskey before she finally said yes. It wasn’t like they had any other plans.** _

_**“I will keep smiling like I have been. The night will get better as soon as I am out of this dress.”** _

_**The music was gone and yet they still swayed. Elizabeth tried to pull away from Nate, but he wouldn’t let go. The harder she pulled, the tighter he grabbed on. The soft scrape of claw along her sides was all she could feel. He just kept smiling as she screamed for a release.** _

_**“Wake up, Lizzy.”** _

Elizabeth woke up startled. She sat up straight and instantly regretted it. Her entire chest felt like it was on fire. She bit back a scream, a low groan replacing it instead as she held her stomach. A hand reached for her shoulder, which caused Elizabeth to recoil. It sent another flood of pain down her body. She locked eyes with the owner of the hand.

It was the old woman with the settlers, Mama Murphy. Her hand was shaking as she pulled it away from Elizabeth. Her skin had been tanned by the constant sun, much like the other wastelanders. Her eyes were glazed over. Compared to the rest of the settlers from the museum, her clothes were even stranger.

The dog was sitting next to her. He let out a whine, but resisted the urge to get close to Elizabeth. She knew the room was familiar, even in the evening darkness. The nightmare made her mind fuzzy and made it even harder to think. 

Mama Murphy was perched in a folding chair, a smile on her face as she looked at Elizabeth. “You did good, kid.”

“Where…?” Elizabeth asked.

“You’re in Sanctuary. It’s safe.”

That’s when she realized why her surroundings were so familiar. She was in the house across from her own, Ms. Rosa’s. They were in her kitchen, or what was left of the kitchen. The metal cabinets were clinging to the ceiling, but they were bound to drop at the lightest touch. The walls that separated the kitchen and living room were rusted down to the frame.

“We got lucky, Dogmeat sure did find us some help,” Mama Murphy continued. She rubbed the dog’s head, scratching behind his ears. His eyes were still on Elizabeth though, his whole body shaking with excitement.

“Dogmeat… You named him that? He’s your dog?” Elizabeth said.

“Oh he ain’t my dog. Dogmeat, he’s what you’d call his own man. You can’t own a free spirit like that.” Elizabeth held out a hand to the dog. He finally approached. He was still shaking, but he was careful as he laid down next to her to be petted. Mama Murphy smiled, “He chooses his friends, and sticks with ‘em. He’ll stay by you now, I saw it.”

“Saw it?”

“It’s the chems, kid. They give ole Mama Murphy the ‘Sight.’ Been that way for as long as I can remember.”

“I don’t understand what that means. What’s the ‘Sight?’”

“I can see a bit of what was, and what will be.”

Elizabeth frowned. _Like that had made things any clearer._ “So… you’re a crazy fortune teller? As if this nightmare couldn’t get any weirder.”

Mama Murphy laughed. “Reality can be a hard pill to swallow.”

“I was hoping you were going to lie to me,” Elizabeth replied. 

As carefully as Elizabeth could, she leaned against the wall behind her. The whole wall creaked, but stayed in place. She heard footsteps, followed by Preston appearing in the doorway next to Mama Murphy. 

“Good, you’re awake,” Preston said. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got run over by a truck. What happened?”

Preston explained the events that took place after she had fell unconscious. They managed to remove her body from the Power Armor and carry her to safety. It took longer than they had hoped, but they made the trip to Sanctuary Hills unscathed. 

“You didn’t hurt Codsworth, did you?” Elizabeth asked. 

“When he saw us bringing you in, the robot relaxed. I take it he’s yours?”

Elizabeth nodded. “He’s harmless. I think.” She paused. “I should probably talk to him so he doesn’t go ballistic.”

“Will let him know you’re awake,” Preston said. 

“Wait, before you go,” Elizabeth asked. Preston stopped moving and looked back to Elizabeth. “Maybe you guys could help me? I’m looking for my son. He was kidnapped from our vault. He’s less than a year old. Did you hear or see anything?”

Preston frowned at the revelation. “No, I’m sorry. We were pinned down by those raiders.”

“I need to keep moving then, find someone who has.” Elizabeth tried to move. Her whole body was screaming in protest, but she pushed herself off from the wall all the same.

Preston quickly grabbed her shoulder in an attempt to keep her from moving. It only served to cause more pain, “Wait, wait!” He let go of her shoulder so he would stop hurting her. “You’re in no condition to travel.”

“Don’t,” Elizabeth gasped, the last of the discomfort shuddered through her. “Don’t do that again.” She cursed under her breath.

“You’re ready to tackle the whole Commonwealth and I took you down with a light touch of your shoulder?” 

Elizabeth scowled. “I don’t care. My son is out there and I need to start looking. I’m already a day behind the kidnappers.” 

“Your boy is alive,” Mama Murphy interjected. “He is safe.”

Elizabeth was stunned into silence. But only for a minute. “What? Where is my son? Where is Shaun?” 

“Oh I wish I knew, kid. I really do. But it’s not like I can see your son. I can just… feel his life force, his energy. He’s out there.”

Elizabeth quaked with anger. “Your “Sight” tell you that? I need a name or a place. Something to seek out, not a feeling.”

“Maybe we can help you,” Preston said. “I know you are ready to go, but in your condition you won’t last long in the Commonwealth. Then nobody will find him.”

Elizabeth bit back the tears. She wasn’t about to break down in front of these people. She knew they were just trying to help, but the pain was so fresh and raw. They were pouring salt into an already open wound. If it had been Nate, he might have actually found a lead on Shaun already. Elizabeth wasn’t built for this world and she knew it.

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Help us rebuild here,” Preston said. “You’re fresh out of the vault and life on the surface is a lot different. I don’t know if we can actually find your son, but I could at least give you the tools to try.”

“I’ve got my own problems. Rebuilding in the middle of the apocalypse? It’s not high on my priority list.”

“I understand, kid.” Mama Murphy frowned. “I’ve seen your destiny, and I know your pain.”

Elizabeth didn't bother to suppress her anger towards the woman anymore. “Don’t give me that ‘destiny’ crap. You know nothing of my pain.”

“I just saw you go toe-to-toe with a twenty foot tall irradiated lizard," Preston snapped. "You telling me you can’t keep an open mind after that? Her Sight led us here, she knows what she is talking about.”

“It’s all right, Preston,” Mama Murphy said. She placed a hand on his arm to calm him before turning her attention back to Elizabeth. “Not everyone understands the Sight. But I don’t need you to believe, I just need you to listen.” Elizabeth was still angry, but she went still. “You’re a woman out of time. Out of hope. But all’s not lost. Your son is alive and I know where you need to start. The great, green jewel of the Commonwealth. Diamond City. The biggest settlement around.”

“Where’s that?” Elizabeth asked.

“Boston, deep in the city,” Preston replied. “Look, you keep helping us and I’ll make sure you get to Diamond City.”

Her head was spinning. It was too much all at once. “I think I need a minute, wash my face.” 

Before anyone could stop her, Elizabeth put her legs under herself and got to her feet. Everything ached and shook, but she stayed standing. Preston handed her a bottle of water and pointed her down the hall to the bathroom.

Elizabeth walked quickly down the hall and into the room. Little was left, but the settlers had set up a metal bucket in what remained of the sink. A dirty mirror still clung to the wall above it. 

Her face was mostly unscathed, just a small cut on her chin. It was unlikely to scar. She checked around the corner to make sure no one was coming before she unzipped the front of her vault suit. She sucked in a heavy breath when she saw the patchwork of bruising that was all ready forming all over her body. Just below her neck, along her shoulders, and down her sides. She never broke a rib, but she pretty sure she had now.

Not willing to bare the sight anymore she zipped up her suit. She poured the water into her hand and rubbed it into her face, wiping away the dirt and grime. This new world was horrible. Raiders, mutant animals, and missing kids. Elizabeth was a foreigner and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she needed help.

_**“Straighten your shoulders, lift your chin, kiddo.”** _

Elizabeth expelled a heavy sigh and went back into the living room. Preston and Mama Murphy were still there, Sturges and Codsworth having joined the group in a deep conversation. Presumably about her. She gave a short cough to draw their attention.

“I’m in. Tell me what to do.”

Sturges had a huge grin on his face and walked towards her. “Well all right, let’s get started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually don't struggle with writing fight scenes like I did with this one for some reason. I think it turned out ok though so I really can't complain. I planned on getting this chapter out yesterday, but between the first half of the chapter and getting sick I put it off. Luckily I wrote the third chapter a while ago and its pretty much done. 
> 
> Thanks and always appreciate constructive criticism or just a comment. I'll reply!


	3. Way to Her Heart

“I’m not eating a bug, Preston.”

Elizabeth scowled, resting her head in her hand. She had adapted reasonably well to the Commonwealth life so far considering her situation. The cuisine that Preston forced upon her was a different story. Between mutant mole rats and giant bugs, it was going too far. She had gotten past the taste of mole rat, but watching the boatfly meat roast on a stick over the fire made her stomach do somersaults. 

“I heard a pack of mongrels nearby,” Preston replied. 

Dogmeat pressed into Elizabeth’s leg, letting out a low whine. She had developed a reliance on the dog, becoming an essential part of her safety. Dogmeat was good at picking up on the sounds of enemies, giving her an early warning of trouble. He was getting better at taking down his victims as well, either to hold them in place so Elizabeth could finish them off or kill them himself. Since Concord, the worst they had run into was an occasional raider. She fortunately hadn’t seen a giant mutated lizard again, or a deathclaw as Preston called them.

“We’re in the wrong company for that.” Elizabeth pointed to Dogmeat to further her point.

“Boatfly it is then.” Preston laughed. The guy had a dry sense of humor, but at least he was good company. “You’ll get used to it. We get some crops growing in Sanctuary and food might not taste half as bad.”

“Still really miss Sugar Bombs,” Elizabeth muttered. “Nothing like starting your morning with a sugar high.”

“If you can get past the radiation, you can have any box we find.” Elizabeth only sighed in response.

The settlers, especially Preston, were more understanding than she thought possible. They readily accepted her explanation of being before the collapse of civilization itself. They made it clear it wasn’t just Vault 111 that was used in twisted experiments by Vault Tech. There were plenty of others just like her, broken by a construct of the past. Elizabeth tried not to dwell on it. 

The pair were at the edge of Sanctuary Hills, getting ready to leave for the day. Their destination was a nearby settlement, but calling it a settlement was a stretch to Elizabeth. There was only one family and a farm to support themselves. Preston was determined to speak to them though. They needed to be self sufficient if Preston was going to rebuild the Minutemen like he wanted. A farm willing to part with some seeds so they could grow their own crops was the best place to start. 

Elizabeth volunteered herself to travel with Preston, wanting to get more experience under her belt. It had been a week since she had awoken from the Vault and she was bed ridden for most of it. The nasty bruise across her chest had begun to heal, but it was still sensitive. The Commonwealth or Shaun’s kidnappers weren’t going to wait for her to recover. She needed to start learning and Preston taught her as much as she was willing to learn.

Preston had begun training her how to use the laser musket, but she resented it at every turn. The kickback was dreadful, along with having to crank the weapon with every use. Preston was patient, but Elizabeth couldn’t hold back her frustration easily. She carried the fool thing to get used to the weight, but preferred her pistol when they ran into trouble. 

He showed her how to properly cook the wildlife to avoid radiation. Food was in short to supply and unless she had caps, she would have to do a lot of hunting on her own. And caps. Nothing seemed to surprise her after Preston explained that caps was the new form of currency. It was just like before the bombs fell, money still made the world turn and she might need it in order to find Shaun.

Sturges outfitted her with new and warmer clothes, warning her that her vault suit would just make her a target. He said the same about the PipBoy, but added she would have been a fool to give up such an invaluable tool. The flannels and jeans were filthy, but she couldn’t complain about them nearly as much as her boots that ran just a little too tight. They even found her a baseball cap. Her skin easily burned compared to the rest of them.

The final piece she personally had to figure out was her wedding ring, along with Nate’s. She managed to save both, but didn’t know if she actually wanted to wear hers anymore. It was just a reminder that Nate and Shaun were gone. Not sure what else to do, she used a shoelace to make a necklace out of the rings. It was easy enough to slip over her head and keep them out of sight or bury them in the bottom of her pack. 

Preston plucked off the boatfly meat from the stick once it was done, passing Elizabeth the first piece. As much as she initially resisted, she couldn’t ignore the food. She was starved after going from three meals a day, to at best one. Another fault for waking up two hundred years too late. She greedily ate the morsel. The taste was bitter, but doable as she choked it down. Preston ate his piece as well, the two remaining silent until it was time to move on.

Preston snuffed out the fire, kicking dirt onto it with his boot. Dogmeat bounded ahead of the pair, but kept within eye sight. The dog seemed to know their destination as Preston fell into line behind him. For every one of Preston’s steps, it took Elizabeth two to keep up. She was breathing harder than she expected by the time they got over the hill. Preston proved to her rather quickly that she was simply out of shape. The most she had to walk was to the park across the street in Sanctuary Hills the last few months before she went into the vault. Something else she would have to improve before she dared go into the city.

“Look, there it is.” Preston pointed in the distance. There was a large pre-war electrical tower which meant nothing at all till Elizabeth looked at the base. A structure was built around it. “That’s the farm. Let’s check it out.”

Preston quickened his pace which forced Elizabeth into a steady jog in order to keep up. Trekking hell and back all over the Commonwealth was going to be the worst part of her journey, she could already tell. Dogmeat sat at the edge of the property. He turned his head upon the pair’s arrival then averted them back to the porch attached to the structure. A man was sitting down and clearly surprised by their arrival. He jumped out of his seat. 

“Stop right there fuckers,” the man shouted. 

Elizabeth froze. She looked to Preston for guidance and saw him with his hands raised. She looked back to the man on the porch. He had a full head of brown hair that was starting to gray, a bushy beard to match. In his hands was a long hunting rifle, aimed right at them. She raised her hands as well.

“We’re not here to hurt you,” Preston said.

“I don’t care,” the man snapped. “I got nothing you want, so get off my land.” 

“Wait,” Elizabeth said. She took tentative steps forward, getting closer to the man. The man raised the gun a little higher in a threatening manner which convinced her to stop. “Will disarm as a sign of good faith. Just don’t shoot me.” 

With an open hand, Elizabeth carefully reached to the holster on her hip. She pulled the pistol free, making sure that her hand wasn’t near the trigger. She tossed it as far as she could in front of her. She rolled her shoulder, the strap of her laser musket slipping free and falling to the ground beside her. Preston followed her lead and did the same with his musket. Even Dogmeat behaved himself. He didn’t growl and sat ever so patiently. 

The man visibly relaxed and lowered the rifle. The butt of the gun hit the porch, but he kept a firm grip on the barrel. If he needed to, he could have it on them again in an instant. They lowered their hands in response. “Look,” He started, “I don’t know what you people want, but we don’t have much. No caps.”

“You have crops though. This is a farm, right?” Elizabeth asked. 

“Perhaps…” The man replied reluctantly. 

“Maybe we could do a trade? He’s a minuteman.” She pointed behind her to Preston. “He’s trying to rebuild, but we got no way to feed his people. We were hoping you could help.”

“What’s your name girl?”

“Elizabeth Callihan. You can call me Liz if you like. That’s Preston Garvey.”

The man huffed, “Blake Abernathy. Why don’t you come up to my porch and we can talk.”

Elizabeth looked to Preston. He gave her an approving nod and followed her onto the porch. Dogmeat stayed on the ground, laying down at the bottom of the stairs. Blake offered them both a chair around an old patio table. They took their seats across from Blake. He leaned his rifle against the chair he was sitting in, his hand still rested on the barrel. 

“Well Miss Callihan… like I said, we don’t got much. But with the Minutemen around, perhaps we could help each other out.”

Elizabeth frowned. She really just wanted to pay caps for the seeds they needed. Preston would have been furious if she had suggested as much though. The Minutemen needed the Commonwealth to believe in their cause once more. 

“We can help if we have your support,” Elizabeth said.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. The minutemen up and disappeared without notice.” Blake shot Preston a pointed look, but Preston didn’t take the bait. “The rest of the Commonwealth have been feeling the repercussions ever since.”

“Maybe there is a way that I can restore your faith in the Minutemen,” Preston interjected. 

“Well… There is something.” Blake released the barrel of his gun. “We’ve had a real raider problem for a few months now. Why work the land when you can take what you want at gun point, right? Last few times they came rolling in, we shuttered up and let them take what they wanted. We grow enough to get by so we don’t starve, but now we don’t make any caps. Last time they rolled through, they were determined to clean us out. Trying to get into the house. Things got out of hand and my daughter Mary…” Blake sighed, pressing a hand to his face.

Elizabeth recognized that face. It was the face she seemed to wear every day when she looked too long in a mirror or let her mind wander. Plain, old grief. Without thinking about it, Elizabeth reached her hand out to touch Blake’s on the table. He was startled by her touch, but didn’t pull away. She remembered herself and pulled her hand back. 

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I just…”

“No need, I understand.” He lowered the hand from his face. There was recognition in his eyes before he continued. “Those bastards gunned her down without a second thought. Took off before we could stop them.”

Blake sucked in a heavy breath, his hand on the table twisted into a fist. Nobody pressed him though, letting him tell his story in his own time. “They stole a locket right off her body, it’s been in our family for generations. I would like to give it to my daughter, Lucy. Something she could have of her sister. You get it back, I’ll help with your farming prospects.”

“Tell me where they are and will take care of it,” Elizabeth said.

“Now hold on, it ain’t that easy.” Blake frowned. “They are heavily armed and hunkered in good. Not sure if a vault dweller and the last minuteman can take on a crew that large by themselves.”

Elizabeth looked at her PipBoy, a frown on her face. Struges wasn’t wrong, nobody expected much from her. Maybe that would keep her at an advantage. “Don’t worry about us. We’re tougher than we look.”

Blake shook off his own sorrow. He saw the determination in the girl’s eyes in front of him. “Well… all right. I’ll tell you as much as I can.”

* * *

By the time Preston and Elizabeth reached the bunker, it was dusk. Blake warned them that at least four raiders patrolled the outside of their bunker at all times, but he knew there were plenty more inside. He also said that two turrets were sitting on the roof of the bunker. The man wasn’t wrong. 

Preston took control of the situation. He had Elizabeth work on picking off the raiders while he focused his efforts on the turrets. Dogmeat stayed a distance away. They both agreed that turrets and dogs didn’t mix.

Elizabeth slid down the hill and took cover behind a concrete barrier. She still hadn’t been spotted, but the turret sensors were bound to pick her up eventually. She had eyes on all the raiders in her immediate area, one just a few paces to the right of her. She moved slow, but with purpose, using the low light to not be noticed. She aimed and made a clean shot to the raider’s head. 

She heard the turrets come to life and took cover. Bullets peppered the barrier, dust from the concrete rising in the air above her head. Then that unmistakable low rumble, followed by an explosion stopped the remaining turret from firing on her. It turned its attention to Preston. Elizabeth took the time to take down the unsuspecting raiders that still hadn’t quite figured out where they were. She drew the ire of the turret back on herself which gave Preston the only opening he needed to destroy the final turret.

After that it was just a matter of cleaning up the raiders that were still alive outside. Dogmeat even joined into the fray once the turrets were destroyed. When all was said and done, they regrouped just outside the bunker entrance. They took advantage of the quiet and stripped the raiders of any bullets they might of had. 

Elizabeth didn’t want to admit it, but they were indeed well armed. Not many caps, but enough bullets to kill everyone at Abernathy’s Farm twenty times over. She even found a bandolier of grenades on the first raider she killed. They were easy enough to figure out and they would have their use she imagined. She stashed the grenades in her pack.

Preston motioned for her to follow. They reached the entrance of the bunker and opened the door with ease. They were met with a set of stairs, leading deeper below ground. Dogmeat walked ahead of them. He disappeared into the darkness that made Elizabeth uncomfortable. She steeled herself and took point ahead of Preston. They reached the bottom of the stairs and came face to face with a set of double doors. She pushed them open.

A bright light blinded Elizabeth when the doors swung open. She raised a hand to block the light, but a sound drew her attention, one that she recognized all too well. It was a minigun whirling to life in front of her and she couldn’t see it. Preston threw himself at Elizabeth, knocking her to the ground and behind the nearby wall. She didn’t see where Dogmeat went, but he was gone as soon as bullets started raining down where they all just stood. 

Elizabeth’s ribs screamed in protest, still sore from the deathclaw attack. But at least she wasn’t full of bullet holes. Preston rolled off of her, keeping his own body low. He lost his hat on the way down, placing it back on top of his head. She thought she heard shouting, but it was impossible to distinguish over the minigun.

“Thanks,” Elizabeth groaned. “We need to take out that light.”

“And the minigun.” 

Elizabeth frowned, then had a thought. She reached into her pack and pulled out one of the grenades from upstairs. She looked to Preston.

“I don’t know where Dogmeat is,” he said.

“He’s smart, he’ll run.”

Elizabeth pulled the pin and lobed it down the hall towards the minigun and light. Shouts punctured the air followed by a loud blast. 

The explosion ripped the room apart, Elizabeth’s ears were ringing. Dust and debris shot back at them out of the room as they shielded themselves behind the wall. She counted out a few seconds in her head before she looked around the corner into the room. The light was in twenty different pieces across the room. A minigun with a hand attached to it, but no body, was on the ground not far from where the light stood. There were voices, but clearly disoriented by the blast. 

The pair slinked into the room and got eyes on their targets. Elizabeth spotted her first raider who was flat on his back. He hadn’t recovered from the explosion. Before he could get up she shot him with her pistol, hitting him in the head. Preston cranked his musket next to her and took down another raider further down the hall who was just standing.

An ear piercing scream ripped across the room. Elizabeth snapped her head in time to see Dogmeat take someone down by the throat. The woman raider nearby was the one screaming, fumbling for her gun. Before she could pick it up, Elizabeth fired three shots. Two of them found home in the woman’s chest as she fell to the ground. Dogmeat at the same time finished with his victim and ripped out their throat. Blood dripped from his maw. He had eyes on the final raider who was just a few paces to the left of him. 

The dog sat on his haunches, then propelled himself forward going for the final raider. The raider threw herself to the ground to avoid Dogmeat’s snapping jaws before slashing the dog’s leg with a long combat knife. Dogmeat yelped in response and fell to the ground. 

Fury filled Elizabeth in an instant and she ran towards the pair. Just like it had been done to her, Elizabeth kicked the woman in the chest hard as she attempted to stand back up. It laid the woman flat out on the ground and her knife slipped from her grip. Elizabeth picked up the blade and thrusted it into the raider’s throat. She tried to grab at Elizabeth’s hands, but she had already pulled back and took the combat knife with her. She left the raider to choke to death on her own blood and went to Dogmeat’s side.

Dogmeat let out a whimper as he tried to stand. He wouldn’t put any weight on his front left leg. Elizabeth pulled the dog into her lap and took her time to check the dog for wounds. She remained cautious where she put her hands. It was difficult for her to distinguish what was Dogmeat’s blood and the blood of his victims. Eventually she found the wound high on his leg. Elizabeth ripped off the shirt of a nearby dead raider and made a tourniquet just above the wound on his leg. 

“Here, this will help.” Preston held out a Stimpak to her. “Found it on one of the raiders. Inject it as close to the wound as you can. It will heal quicker.”

Elizabeth does as she is instructed. She coos to Dogmeat as she injects the Stimpak into his leg. He lets out a low whine, but otherwise doesn’t move from her hold. Preston returns with a rag and offers it to Elizabeth so she can tie it around his open wound. 

“He’ll need stitches, but he’s no worse for wear. We might need to carry him though…” Preston said.

Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath. She buried her grateful tears before they could spill forth. Every day it was getting easier to hide her feelings. Dogmeat scrambled out of her hold as soon as she was done binding the wound. He still didn’t put any weight on his injured leg. He was getting around just fine on three legs, however. 

“I think he’s trying to prove you wrong,” Elizabeth said. “Relax Dogmeat, you’re such a good boy.” Dogmeat, satisfied, laid down on the floor. He took the time to lick the blood from his coat. She was overwhelmed with his unwavering loyalty. “Let’s find that locket and take whatever we can carry, food for Blake’s family too.” She looked at Preston who had the biggest grin on his face. Elizabeth frowned, “Stop looking at me like that, it’s weird.”

“Liz, that was incredible what you just did. You’re getting this down quicker than I thought.”

She blushed from the sudden praise. “It’s nothing really…” she stammered. It was all she could manage to say, everything else sounded too self congratulatory or stupid. 

“It’s something.” Preston clapped his hand on her shoulder. “There’s still a lot of Commonwealth to learn, but… you’re doing great. I just thought you should know.” Preston released his hold and went back towards the entrance to begin stripping the room.

Elizabeth pushed the praise from her mind. They still had a mission to complete, but the sudden praise did wonders for her confidence. They stacked all the supplies they collected in the center of the room. The raiders were well off. Armor, weapons, ammo, chems, and food. There were hardly any caps to be had, but the supplies more than made up for it. Preston even found Mary’s locket on one of the shelves that had boxes of prewar food, including Sugar Bombs. 

Elizabeth busied herself with stripping the raiders. She checked pockets and took boots. Her real prize was just a few feet away from one of the dead raiders, however. She lifted up a combat rifle from the ground. It had slid under a nearby shelf, something she might have missed if she wasn’t careful. She ran her fingers along the frame. The barrel was cut short and it had an iron sight built into the top of the weapon. It was still considerably lighter than the laser musket over her shoulder.

“That’s a good find,” Preston said. He stood next to her as she removed the magazine and examined the bullets. They were .45 caliber, something they were suddenly in full supply of. _Just maybe…_ “What’d you think?”

Elizabeth looked around the room until she saw a sufficient target, empty Nuka-Cola bottles. She raised the rifle, aiming down the iron sights. She squared herself with her target and exhaled as she squeezed the trigger. The gun gave a strong kick, but it was nothing like the laser musket. She fired it once, twice, three times more before she heard the satisfying sound of a bottle shattering. 

“I think I’m going to retire the musket and step into this century.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it was almost done! Elizabeth will end up South soon. 
> 
> Thanks as always!


	4. Night of the Living Dead

It had been one month since Elizabeth had woken from the vault. The Minutemen were expanding through the Commonwealth at a rapid rate. Every day more people were becoming aware or joining their cause. Settlements expanded and had begun to reestablish contact, retaking their lands back from raiders and the mutated wildlife that inhabited the wasteland.

Preston lucked out as well to unite the settlements. Him and Elizabeth found themselves in an old military bunker not long ago that had remained untouched by other wastelanders. Several short wave radios were inside. They managed to repair the equipment, with Sturges help of course, and get one into the hands of each settlement. Preston insisted that Elizabeth kept a portable one for herself as well, for the day she finally traveled to Diamond City. 

Overall, everyday the wasteland was getting a little easier to survive. Her aim was poor in comparison to using her pistol, but Elizabeth was getting used to the combat rifle. She managed to scrounge up her own set of armor as well. The leather pieces wouldn’t deflect bullets, but it was another layer of security against the wildlife. 

They were pushing out West, but staying in the countryside North of the city. They found themselves in what remained of County Crossing, the settlement wiped out ages ago. Elizabeth was beaming by the time they got there. It wasn’t anything special itself, the only thing of consequence was the foundation of an old house. But she did find herself ever closer to the city of Boston. A half a day’s journey at most and she could be in the heart of it.

Preston urged Elizabeth to give herself more time though. She was only so experienced and only had a taste of how bad the Commonwealth could be. Caps were sparse too. With each day that passed, it was becoming less likely that people had actually seen Shaun. Which meant she might have to hire help. Or grease the right wheels. 

But raiders had little to give. They stole all they needed, so it wasn’t like they had much use for caps. What they did find was split with the Minutemen so they could build and stockpile. Eventually, Elizabeth would have to go for bigger fish to actually make a profit. 

They had just made it to County Crossing a few hours before dusk. It gave them time to scout the perimeter and set up camp. Preston had brought two families along. It was risky expanding into unknown territory with an inexperienced group, but everyone was equipped and ready for a fight if the time came. They would have to learn to trust in one another if the Minutemen were ever going to bounce back. 

Elizabeth was sitting on a ledge, looking South towards Boston while Preston got everyone settled. She fiddled with her PipBoy, just looking to pass the time. The sound of shuffling feet drew her attention away from her thoughts.

“Callihan, right?” The boy asked. He was a boy too, at best fifteen years old. He was small for his age, a victim of malnutrition. His sandy blonde hair was filthy and he had a decent sunburn along his cheeks.

Cody and his mother, Lindsay, found their way to Sanctuary only a few days prior before their trek. They had come from somewhere in Boston, but never specified. Sanctuary was getting too full though, so Preston invited them in the movement out West. Lindsay readily agreed. She never said what drove them from Boston, but everyone had their guesses. 

“That’s right,” Elizabeth replied. She extended her hand out to the boy. Cody grasped it and gave her a quick shake. “You can sit if you like.” 

“Are you sure my mom will be safe out here?” Cody looked behind them before joining her on the ledge. 

“You guys won’t be alone. Will be staying for a few days, make sure we aren’t setting up near raiders before we take root.”

Cody nodded. “We got out of Boston in one piece. I don’t want to lose her after all that.”

“Will keep her safe, both of you,” Elizabeth said. “The Minutemen will be just a call away once we get the radios working.”

“We heard you took down a deathclaw, so I guess we’re lucky to have you along.” 

Elizabeth bit back a grimace. She had hoped people didn’t expect too much from her. After all, to the rest of the Commonwealth she was a clueless Vault Dweller. She hadn’t done nearly enough to prove them wrong either. 

“If I wasn’t wearing Power Armor,” Elizabeth said. “I don’t think I would have survived. Honestly I’m just lucky.” Cody still grinned, which made Elizabeth smile. He was still a kid after all.

“It’s still really cool-”

It sounded like firecrackers in Elizabeth’s ears, but she knew the sound. She grabbed Cody by the shoulders and rolled with him after the first shots, the pair of them tumbling down the nearby hill away from the gunfire. She heard Preston shout a warning to the rest of the settlers. Raiders and they were closing in fast. 

Elizabeth let go of the boy when they hit the bottom of the hill, rolling a short distance away from him. She sat up and looked to Cody’s prone form. The bile in her stomach nearly forced itself out. Cody was still, blood pouring from the back of his skill. She went to the boy's side and carefully rolled him over. That's when she saw the clear bullet hole above his eye. 

_Just like Nate._

The gunfire subsided as soon as it began. She heard shouts and movement coming close. Elizabeth held her rifle, but went still and stayed low to the ground, hoping she would go unnoticed. A large group of raiders ran past, heading South towards Boston. At least five of them, too many for her to take with no cover. It didn't take long for them to disappear out of view and for everything to turn silent once again. 

She looked up at the sound of movement at the top of the ridge. Preston stood, his laser musket drawn. “Is he all right?” 

Elizabeth couldn’t speak, only shaking her head. A horrified scream pulled her out of her self pity. Cody’s mother slid down the hill to them. Lindsay picked up Cody’s lifeless body and pulled him into her arms. She wailed and cursed. Blood stained her hands and clothes.

Preston made his way down the hill as well, Dogmeat hot on his heels. He carefully pulled Elizabeth away from Lindsay, letting the woman have her moment. He placed both hands on her shoulders, trying to get a look into her eyes, but she wouldn’t look at him. “Are you hurt?”

“No.” Elizabeth couldn’t tear her eyes away from Lindsay as she cradled Cody’s body. It made her insides splinter. “Preston. Help her.”

Preston reluctantly let go of her and went to Lindsay’s side. He tried to talk to her, but she only clutched the boy tighter. Elizabeth’s eyes drifted the way the raiders went. 

Elizabeth curled her fists and forced herself to walk, one foot in front of the other till she broke off into a run. Preston screamed her name, but she only ran harder to the outskirts of Boston.

* * *

When Elizabeth reached the city, she silently regretted it. The occasional gunfire in the distance made her flinch every time. Dogmeat fortunately had followed her which gave her a companion. Also someone that could sniff out the raiders, his nose to the ground. He curved his way through the streets of Boston, doing well to avoid any trouble. She didn’t even have to give the command, he understood their goal.

Dogmeat led her past interesting sights as well. Bunker Hill was first, the settlement entirely walled off. She saw an actual ship stuck at the top of a skyscraper. They passed through Cambridge, finding a massive crater in the ground. It was likely where a bomb had struck, the soft tick of her Geiger counter on her PipBoy confirming as much. They kept close to the canal to put distance between themselves and the radiation. 

Their path led them across another bridge into the heart of the city. She recognized the building instantly that they happened upon. It was the Boston Bugle Building. It had become the epicenter of plenty of conflicts before the bombs fell. The paper prided itself on spreading the truth and in turn made an enemy of a corrupt government. She had lost count of how many times she saw the building on the news. 

Dogmeat came to a stop just outside the doors. It was evident that someone had come through. A chain to the doors was picked, the lock along with the chain discarded on the ground nearby. Dogmeat didn’t move, staring at the door in front of them. They had to be inside. Elizabeth slipped the strap of her combat rifle off her shoulder, holding the weapon close to her chest. Her knuckles were white as she carefully opened the door. 

They found themselves in a small lobby, a receptionist desk against the wall in front of her. An elevator was just to the right of the desk that didn’t appear to be operational. Next to the elevator was a waiting area. It looked like a wall was supposed to be there, but it had collapsed long ago.  
It was dark beyond the collapsed wall, but she heard voices. Dogmeat expelled a low growl, the hackles rising on his fur. Elizabeth crouched low, moving slow and steady. She crossed over the downed wall, the voices getting more clear. 

The room she stepped into was a large office space. Cubicles made up the center of the room, some of them collapsed. A small fire illuminated the far end of the room, a shut door just beyond it. Elizabeth spotted several of the raiders, wearing miss matched armor. They still had no idea she was there as she continued to creep closer, using the cubicles as cover. 

“It was those Minutemen. They’re expanding,” a raider said.

“No. They’re spreading themselves thin. They keep it up and it will be easy pickings.” 

Elizabeth was only a few paces away from them now. Her breath was ragged. She had to fight the fear, there were five raiders in her view that she had to take care of. It was now or never.

She raised up her rifle and got two raiders in her sights. She got in six shots before anyone got out of the way. One raider was struck in the neck and went down instantly. A second took at least two shots to the chest. He fell back against the wall and clutched where he had been hit. 

The others spread out and took cover behind the cubicles. Elizabeth did the same, trying to stay as quiet as she possibly could. Dogmeat was gone from her side, seeking his first target. She heard feet shuffling and angry curses, but in the darkness it was difficult to determine how close they actually were. The only hope she had was that she at least startled them and put herself at an advantage. Judging by their slow reaction, they weren’t expecting visitors. 

Elizabeth chanced a look around the corner only to be met with gunfire. Shots whizzed past her face and she ducked back into position. Gunfire continued to rain all around her, pinning her down. She focused on her breathing to avoid any fear that was manifesting itself. 

A shout punctured the air and gunfire ceased. Dogmeat had his first victim, his snarls unmistakable. Elizabeth spun out from behind her cover only to receive a blow to the face. 

A raider hit her hard in the nose with the stock of his rifle. She fell back, her baseball cap falling off and her rifle put just out of reach. The raider straddled her while Elizabeth grasped her nose, blood coating her fingers.

“I’m going to make you suffer bitch,” He hissed. 

He tossed his rifle aside and grabbed her hands by the wrist. He forced both of her wrists into one hand and withdrew a knife with the other. Elizabeth tried to break her hands free, but his one large hand wrapped around her small wrists. He raised the blade high and swung down. With no other option, she bucked her knees up, knocking him off balance. The blade still caught her down her right side and went straight into the floor. Even with her armor it cut her deep.

She didn’t give him the chance to center himself. She kept moving her lower half, her side grinding against the knife that was stuck into the ground and making the wound worse. The raider loosened his grip of her wrists just enough for her to break one free. She swung her fist and connected it with his jaw. He fell backwards on to her legs and released her other wrist. she pulled herself out from under him, drew her pistol and shot him twice in the head. 

She clumsily reached for her rifle. The gunfire had subdued, but she could still hear movement. At least one more raider. She put the rifle strap over her shoulder and kept her pistol drawn as she looked around the corner once more. She had a clear view of Dogmeat who was finishing off one of the raiders, his face bloody. 

The door at the far end of the room rattled, like someone threw their entire body at it. Elizabeth panicked, worried there were far more than she thought. The door slammed again and again until finally a figure spilled forth. It was a Human shape as it fell flat on its face out the door, a second one behind it. 

The light barely illuminated them, but something was clearly not right. They had a few scrapes of clothing clinging to their body and they bore no weapons. The one still standing stalked closer to the light and Elizabeth got a clear view of their deformed skin. They were Ghouls. Ferals. 

Dogmeat sprinted past her, barking to get her attention. The sign was clear, it was time to go. Elizabeth holstered her pistol, scrambled to her feet, and ran. She could hear footsteps behind her and the low gurgle of an inhuman growl. She didn’t dare look back, leaping over the downed wall and back towards the lobby. 

Elizabeth slammed the door open to the outside, Dogmeat sliding out past her legs. That’s when she locked eyes with her pursuer. It was the last raider, several paces back and a feral ghoul within reach. She shut the door before either one could get close. She reached for the chain and scrambled to wrap it around the handles of the doors. Her hands were shaking but she got the chains in place. Dogmeat pushed the lock closer with his snout to her grasping hand. She secured the lock on the chain as a body slammed against the door. 

The raider let out a scream, followed by gunfire. It was two shots, before the bullets turned on the door instead, the raider trying to shoot his way out. Elizabeth dived out of the way, but a bullet grazed the top of her left shoulder. Eventually the gunfire ceased, the ferals growls replacing the sound. There were more screams and then silence, a feral’s moan the only distinguishable noise. Blood seeped out the bottom of the door onto the street. 

The ferals tested the door, throwing their entire bodies into it like before. Elizabeth raised her rifle, and silently prayed the door would hold. After a few tense minutes, the door stopped rattling and she heard the ghouls shuffle off back into the building. She relaxed in response, letting the rifle fall back to her side. 

She hadn’t noticed until the tears dripped on her arms. She had been crying. 

_What have I gotten myself into?_

The crisis was averted, but now she was in the middle of Boston, wounded. She was a fool and she was about to pay the price for her arrogance. The blood loss wasn’t severe, but it was steady. Her left arm ached as blood trickled down to her chest. Dogmeat was at her side, letting out a low whimper. He didn’t appear to be harmed, still moving with his normal stamina. 

She slipped off her pack and took a quick inventory of her supplies. She was down to one Stimpak, two cans of water, some jerky, ammo, and a change of clothes. She had the radio, but it was unlikely County Crossing had activated their own yet. Or more likely, she wasn’t in range. 

She grabbed the Stimpak and one of the waters. With reluctance, she jabbed the Stimpak into her arm over her side. She could barely hold her rifle with her arm injured, she needed to be able to use it. The relief was almost instantaneous, enough for her to actually move the limb with minimal discomfort. She splashed some water on the sleeve of her flannel and used it to wipe the blood from her nose. The rest she drank or shared with Dogmeat. 

She lifted the PipBoy into her lap, turned a few dials, and opened the map screen. It pinpointed her location. She was in West Boston, too far to travel to one of the Minutemen settlements. Sturges had taken the time to mark a few notable settlements on her map. Diamond City, Bunker Hill, and Goodneighbor. 

Diamond City was out of the question. Bunker Hill would take her at least an hour if she didn’t run into trouble. Goodneighbor was the closest which didn’t make her feel any better. Sturges had warned her that Goodneighbor was technically a settlement in the Commonwealth, but it was about one step above bedding with raiders. It was a town full of gangsters. But Goodneighbor was just a few blocks away. A town meant walls, merchants, and possibly a doctor if she could afford it. 

A town, even a dangerous one, was better than sitting in the middle of the street. It was the only choice that wouldn’t lead her to bleeding out. Elizabeth pulled herself to her feet and kept the map open on her PipBoy to guide her. Either to safety or death. Most likely death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was surprised at how little was in the Boston Bugle Building so I added to it. The only thing that frustrates me with these games is the sometimes obnoxiously small environments inside these huge buildings. I thought we would have gotten a bit more prewar information too, but the articles that were on the terminals were a nice touch.
> 
> Thank you for those sticking through so far!


	5. All Hail the King

It didn’t take Elizabeth long to reach the entrance to Goodneighbor. The worst they ran into was a wild mongrel, one that Dogmeat was able to put down with ease. It was for the best. Too much noise and Elizabeth would get more than she actually bargained for. They adopted a slow but steady speed through the streets of Boston.

The entrance to the town was not what she expected, so much so she almost missed it. She pictured an elaborate gate or a massive door. Instead, it looked like the doorway into her bedroom back in Sanctuary. She would have mistook it for another building on the street if the town’s name wasn’t in neon lights above it. 

She kept her right hand firmly pressed into her side. She could still feel blood flowing through and she was starting to suffer from the repercussions. Her hand was getting numb holding the pressure and her legs felt weak. If she stared at the door any longer she was never going to go in. Digging deep for the last bit of courage she had left, she twisted the door handle with her free hand. 

Dogmeat pushed ahead of her into an open courtyard, two long half walls with lamps separating the entrance of Goodneighbor in half. She felt eyes on her as soon as she walked through the door. She reached back to shut the door behind her, but a guard moved past her and did it himself. She assumed he was a guard anyways. His suit and fedora matched other people standing around the courtyard who were holding machine guns.

Dogmeat circled back around to her side and pressed himself into her leg. She buried her left hand into his scruff, deciding it was best to keep a hold of him. Dread filled her as she saw what looked like merchant stands in front of her, but completely unoccupied. She felt like a fool. It was the middle of the night, so of course they were closed. 

She didn’t have long to think about her mistake, as someone approached her. It was a man who stepped right into her path. He wore a leather jacket and walked with a cocky swagger, clearly not a guard. His nose looked like it had taken too many hits in his time, a crook near the bridge. Elizabeth was disgusted before he even opened his mouth. She could feel the hackles rising on Dogmeat’s back the instant he got just a few steps too close. 

“Hold up there,” he said. “First time in Goodneighbor? Can’t go walking around without insurance.” 

The man let his eyes wander up and down her body. If someone could violate another with looks, this man perfected it. He was clearly sizing her up, thinking he was at an advantage. He probably was, but Elizabeth hadn’t come this far to be taken for all she was worth.

“Unless its ‘keep dumb assholes away from me insurance,’ I’m not interested.”

“Now don’t be like that.” The man got in her face. He was close enough that she could smell the whiskey on his breath, something she was all too familiar with. Dogmeat expelled a growled but didn’t move with Elizabeth still holding him by the scruff. “I think your going to like what I have on offer. You hand over everything you got in that pack, or ‘accidents’ start happenin’ to ya. Big, bloody, ‘accidents.’”

If she released Dogmeat, he would tear the man to shreds and the guards might shoot. If she drew her weapon, the same result would likely occur. She had to rely on her wit and empty threats. “Look, I’ve had a really shitty night. I’m not in the mood for a shakedown. I’ll only ask once. Back. Off. Or next I let go of my dog.” Dogmeat barked and snapped his jaws to prove her point.

“Whoa, whoa. Time out.”

The gravelly voice came from behind the man in the darkness. Another person stepped forward, his form engulfed by the nearby lights. His face looked like it had been severely burned, but his eyes gave him away as something else. He had no pupils, the entirety of it a dark onyx that glistened with the light. She wasn’t sure if it was the blood loss that was effecting her vison, but he looked like he had stepped right out of the American Revolution, dressed in a bright red frock coat and a tricorn hat perched on his head. He was a Ghoul, one of the few she had seen that wasn’t a feral.

Elizabeth slowly backed away from both of them, her hand moving from her wound to the pistol at her hip. She didn’t remove it from the holster, but kept a tight grasp on it. She was starting to question her decision making that led her into town. The Ghoul had his eyes on her, but only for a moment as he turned to her would be mugger. Dogmeat visibly relaxed in her grasp.

“Someone steps through the gate the first time, they’re a guest,” the Ghoul said. "You lay off that extortion crap."

She kept her hand on her weapon, but she also couldn't help feeling relieved that someone was actually defending her. 

“What d’you care? She ain’t one of us.” The man took his attention off of Elizabeth too, turning to the Ghoul.

“No love for your mayor, Finn? I said let her go.” 

“You’re soft, Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, one day there’ll be a new mayor.”

The Ghoul, Hancock, had a playful smirk on his face. Like Finn had just told him a funny joke instead of obviously threatening his life. “Come on, man. This is me we’re talking about.” Hancock walked closer to the man, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let me tell you something…”

Finn was distracted by Hancock’s touch, so distracted he didn’t see the knife that Hancock held in his hand. It was two swift jabs into Finn’s chest that made him double over. Finn clutched at his new wounds as Hancock pushed him to the ground, leaving him to bleed out on the ground. Elizabeth bit back a gasp, her eyes wide.

“Now why’d you have to go and say that, huh? Breaking my heart over here.”

Hancock wiped his soiled blade off on the back of Finn’s jacket before tucking it back into his belt. His belt was a flag wrapped around his waist no less to complete the revolutionary look. Finn groaned, but he grew still just moments later. Elizabeth expected the guards to react, but they only watched the scene unfold. Hancock was definitely in charge if he could get away with blatant murder in the streets. Or Goodneighbor really was everything she had been told.

Dogmeat raised his hackles once more, but Elizabeth didn’t let go. Hancock’s eyes found her once more. Just like Finn, they were roaming all over her, but for some reason it felt less sinister. It was like he was trying to solve a puzzle, rather than deciding how many caps he could loot from her corpse. He stepped around Finn’s body, but kept a respectable distance from her.

“I know you had ole’ Finn handled back there, but a mayor’s gotta make a point sometimes. You all right?”

“It’s not everyday I get mugged and then witness a murder right in front of me,” Elizabeth replied calmly. 

“You obviously haven’t been visiting the right neighborhoods.” He was enjoying this far more then normal people should enjoy murder.

“Was starting to think I was in the wrong one to begin with.”

“Goodneighbor’s of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone’s welcome, so long as you play nice.” 

Hancock looked at her hand resting on her pistol. She took the subtle hint, sliding her hand back up her side to her open wound. She gave Dogmeat a good tug to force him to relax. The dog obeyed, sitting so she could release her hold of his fur. 

“I feel you,” Elizabeth said.

Hancock nodded his silent thanks as his eyes moved back to her face. “Goodneighbor can be your home away from home if you give it the chance.”

A home where she was greeted with extortionists and murderers didn’t exactly appeal to her, but she didn’t vocalize that sentiment. “Will see,” she said. “I need some supplies. Are those the only merchant stands?” Elizabeth pointed to the buildings behind Hancock. 

“Unless you’re looking for a strong drink, that would be it, sister.”

Elizabeth cursed under her breath. “OK, thanks. For before too.” She motioned to Finn on the ground. 

The best she could hope for was that she could staunch the bleeding till morning. At least she had walls around her. How safe those actual walls were was another question if Finn was just a taste of Goodneighbor. 

“If you are looking to get that patched up,” he took a step forward, “there’s a doctor in the Memory Den.”

The most she had was maybe a hundred caps and that was being generous. It was unlikely it would be enough to get her wounds tended to. “I don’t have the caps to pay for that. I’d rather patch myself anyways.”

“Tough girl.” Hancock placed a hand on his chin, a grin playing on his face. “I would be willing to part with some goods if you refuse to go to the doctor.”

She wanted to say no, but she needed something. “I-I have caps. Not many, but you can have them all.”

Elizabeth swung her pack off her shoulder, getting it past her combat rifle. She was digging into the main pouch when Hancock placed a hand on the pack, stopping her in her tracks. His hand was like his face, burned and pulled taught over bone and muscle. It almost looked like leather. 

“Think of it as a welcome to the neighborhood gift,” Hancock said. “I plan on changin’ your opinion of the place.”

“I don’t want to owe debts,” Elizabeth said.

“And you don’t want to be offending the Mayor, right?” Elizabeth nodded her head reluctantly in agreement. “Good, then follow me.”

Hancock released her pack, turned on his heel and headed to the building nearby. The building was another piece from Elizabeth’s time she recognized, the Old State House. The State House was in better shape then many of the other structures she had seen in the Commonwealth. It almost looked whole minus the blown out windows. Seemed appropriate that the Mayor would have some kind of stake in the building. 

Elizabeth propelled herself forward. Her legs felt numb and exhaustion was settling into her bones. She had no idea what time it actually was, but it had to have been close to morning. Between traveling to County Crossing then to Boston, she had had a full day and then some. Hancock held the door open so she could slip inside, Dogmeat following in after her. 

The inside was dimly lit, but it looked like little activity took place on the ground level of the State House. She caught the eye of more town guards inside, standing at each door into the building. Hancock waved the guards off as he walked in. They nodded in acknowledgement, both of them disappearing outside to leave the two alone.

“Come upstairs to my office,” Hancock said. 

There was a spiral staircase in front of them that he began to climb ahead of her, the steps protesting from age with each step. Elizabeth was frozen. Irrational fear gripped her into place. Sure, Hancock had killed Finn and protected her. But he also killed the man so casually. Was she really about to go upstairs alone with him? Hancock sensed her hesitation and stopped to look back at her.

“I ain’t gonna hurt ya,” Hancock said. “I would have left you for Finn and saved myself some effort. Besides, I don’t want to lose a finger to your mutt.”

That made Elizabeth smile. She quietly followed behind Hancock to the second floor and through a set of double doors into a new room. It looked more like a frat house than an office. Couches surrounded a coffee table that was littered with liquor bottles, chems, and cigarettes. A kitchen area in the back of the room was loaded with old prewar food sitting on the counters.

Dogmeat rubbed up against Elizabeth’s leg, a reminder he was close. He found a spot on the floor near the door and laid down. His eyes were shut, but he was aware. His ears twitched with each sound and movment. Hancock turned to face her and motioned her to come closer. 

“Lift your shirt up,” Hancock said. 

Elizabeth raised a brow at him, “I usually want a drink first before I get asked that.” 

Hancock pointed to his coffee table in the center of the room. “Take your pick.”

“I didn’t say I would agree after.” 

Hancock chuckled. At the very least she was making him laugh instead of wanting to stab her. “Let me see the wound, sister. Give me an idea of how bad it is.” 

He wasn’t going to give up easily, that much was clear. At this point, she was more tired than wanting to win a fight. She undid the straps to her leather armor chest piece and pulled it off, stuffing it into her bag. She unbuttoned her flannel and carefully rolled up her t-shirt underneath just above the wound to give Hancock a clear view. He bent down to take a closer look. He was muttering to himself, but she couldn’t understand it. 

“You casually kill anyone that messes with newcomers?” Elizabeth asked.

“Finn’s had it comin' for a while. But no, just for the pretty ones.” 

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but Hancock didn’t see it. “I doubt I look that pretty with a busted nose.” Hancock put a finger to the wound that made her recoil instantly. She smacked his hand away in response. “Don’t poke it!”

Hancock didn’t even bother to hide a laugh. He turned away and went to the counter in the back of the room. “They did a number on you, Vaultie.” 

“How do you know I’m from a vault?” She carefully rolled her shirt down, making sure she didn't touch the open wound.

“Let’s see… bleeding, bruised, and a PipBoy strapped to your arm. All seems to check out.”

Elizabeth sighed. Unfortunately, he wasn't wrong. She took the time to button up her flannel while Hancock gathered up the promised supplies. He returned to her with several items in his hands. A Stimpak, needle and thread, duct tape, a syringe that she assumed was Med-X, all wrapped up in a rag. Plenty of supplies that she probably couldn’t afford.

“That’s way too much, I just need the needle and thread,” Elizabeth said.

“You should really go see a doctor. But I’m not going to bother trying to convince you because I have a feeling it would be a waste of time.” At least he figured that much out. “This will do the trick without a doctor.” 

She was more compliant then she wanted to be, but she was running out of time or patience to refuse the help. She reached out for the supplies, but he pulled them back towards his chest. She raised a brow at him again, confused. 

“If you sit, I’ll stitch it up for you,” Hancock said.

The offer was tempting, her eyes on the nearby couch. She could sit, let someone else do the work. She was reluctant though, she didn’t want to incur an even larger hidden debt then she had. Hancock was going to want something in return, no matter what he said. She smiled and took the bundle from his hands.

“You’re just trying to get me out of my shirt again. I can do this on my own.”

“Suit yourself, Vaultie.” He gave her a moment to put everything into her pack before he brushed past her. “Got somewhere to stay?” 

Dogmeat quickly stood on all four paws and went ahead of them down the stairs. They walked side by side to the stairs, Hancock taking the lead once they got to them.

“Nearest place to rent a bed?” Elizabeth asked.

“If you don’t mind sharing, there are free beds upstairs for drifters. Should be a few more open.”

“Was thinking more of a private room.”

She wanted privacy and she didn’t trust anyone in this town. She had heard and seen enough to question how likely she would wake up with everything still in her pack. It didn’t matter how kind Hancock had been. 

Hancock turned, a grin on his face as he placed both hands on the rails and blocked her way out. “There’s my bed, free of charge.”

Elizabeth smirked. She wasn’t that tired. “Asking me to bed Mayor, and you don’t even know my name.”

“One of them old fashioned types. Let’s hear it, sister.”

“Elizabeth Callihan.”

“Elizabeth Callihan, want to go back upstairs?”

She laughed softly. “I need a bed to rest, not fuck.”

“No fun at all, Vaultie.” Hancock laughed as well. They hit the ground floor and Hancock stood by the door opposite from the one they had entered in. He pushed it open for her. “You’ll see Hotel Rexford across the street. You unfortunately do have to pay for that room and you miss out on my pleasurable company.”

Elizabeth shook her head, but she was smiling all the same. She walked out the door past Hancock, Dogmeat followed behind. She turned back to him before he shut the door on her.

“Thank you, again. I’ll find a way to repay this.”

“We take care of our own here, you’ll see. Don’t sweat the small things.”

With that Hancock closed the door and left her alone. She turned to Hotel Rexford and hurried across the street. She was ready to sit and kick off her boots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're in for a slow burn. Kind of. You'll just have to keep reading to see :3 
> 
> I'm caught up to what I wrote previously so this should slow down in chapter updates depending on how quickly I crank them out. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking through friends!


	6. Blood and Whiskey

_**“Last call!”** _

_**Elizabeth’s voice was hoarse after working the bar all night. Her fingers were stuck together from all the different sugary mixers and sweat ran down the side of her face. She couldn’t even consider how she smelled either, a healthy mix of beer and rum she imagined. It didn’t change the fact that she was absolutely in love with it all. The noise, the activity, and the lights. All of it drew her in like a moth to a flame.** _

_**It took another thirty minutes before the majority of the crowd cleared out for the evening. There were a few stragglers that would have to be removed, but that wasn’t her business. Her’s was to make sure the alcohol kept flowing.** _

_**“Don’t suppose I could get one last drink?”** _

_**He sat on one of the bar stools and slid his empty glass towards her. Dark hair with bright green eyes, he was definitely familiar. Probably a regular. Another benefit working there was all the eye candy that consistently showed night after night. She glanced to the clock.** _

_**“If you drink fast," Elizabeth said. "What do you want?”** _

_**“Vodka soda.”** _

_**As she poured the drink into a glass in front of him, he placed a few bills on the bar for her. She topped the drink off and took the money.** _

_**“Keep the change, for not throwing me out yet.”** _

_**“Bribing me helps,” she said.** _

_**He laughed. “Well thanks…” he paused, waiting for her to fill in the rest.** _

_**“Lizzy.”** _

_**“Thanks, Lizzy.”** _

_**“You’re welcome…”** _

_**“Nate.”** _

_**She smiled at him. Nate was one of the last still in the bar, the others had already worked their way towards the exit. It was quiet as she wiped down the bar. Nate was absently sipping at his drink, but his eyes were on Elizabeth the whole time.** _

_**“Going anywhere special after this?” Nate asked to break the silence.** _

_**“You mean after work?” She smirked. “Going to find someplace that is still open for a late night dinner, then bed.”** _

_**“I’ve been told I’m a great cook.” Nate kept a smile planted on his face.** _

_**Oh yeah, he was subtle.** _

_**She leaned on the bar and looked him in the eye. “It will only cost me keeping you company in bed for the night, huh?”** _

_**“If I’m lucky, sure. Really I just want to talk to you for once without shouting.”** _

_**“I don’t date regulars.”** _

_**“Is that a no?”** _

_**“I don’t date regulars, doesn’t mean I won’t go home with them.” She stood off from the bar. “I don’t like attachments, they make my job messy.”** _

_**Elizabeth collected up dirty glasses on the bar to move them to the sink. Nate fell quiet once more. She couldn’t fault him for losing interest fast. He wasn’t the first that tried, but she liked her work. She liked being able to flirt without facing repercussions later. It meant better tips too.** _

_**“No strings,” Nate said. “Just food, sex after if you really want.”** _

_**She raised a brow at him. She tried to hide the fact she was actually surprised, he was one of the few that actually agreed to her terms. Her night was getting better by the minute.** _

_**“Wait for me, then we can go,” Elizabeth replied.** _

_**“How much longer are you going to make Shaun wait?”** _

_**The room darkened as a sudden chill moved in. Her chest suddenly felt tight.** _

_**“What did you say?” She asked.** _

_**“Stop playing around and find our son!”** _

_**Nate stood from his bar stool, the anger rolled off of him and infected everything it touched. She dropped the glass in her hand and backed into the wall behind her. Nate’s face twisted, the bullet wound formed just above his eye.** _

_**“How many are going to die in your search?” It was a new voice that intruded. Elizabeth looked down the bar and saw Cody sitting on a stool. His voice was somber and just like Nate, his matching bullet hole was in his skull. “Why did I have to die?”** _

_**Elizabeth pressed her hands to her eyes as she slipped down to the floor. She felt cold, as cold as the cryo pod. Everything closed around her and she couldn’t remember how to breath as the freezing air strangled her lungs.** _

_**“Stop,” she begged. “stop, stop, stop…. Please….”** _

_**Elizabeth moved her hands from her eyes. Cody and Nate were gone, everything was silent. Then she heard it, that inhuman gurgle. Feral Ghouls climbed over the bar towards her. Their fingers tore into her flesh as she screamed.** _

Elizabeth fell out of bed, her nightmare had roughly ripped her back to reality. She struggled to breath at a normal pace. She pulled her knees into her chest, trying to remind herself that it was all a nightmare. It didn’t ease her mind, but it did help her to remember how to fill her lungs properly.

She stayed that way for several minutes and waited for the episode to pass. When it did, she slowly stood up from the ground. Dogmeat was still asleep on the couch, undisturbed by her nightmare and snoring loudly. She couldn’t fault him. They had both been exhausted by the time they got to the room the night before. He stayed awake long enough for her to finish cleaning herself up before he passed out. She followed suit shortly after. 

She grabbed her PipBoy from the end table next to her bed and saw that it was almost three in the afternoon. Far too late to travel to a settlement. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for the city again anyways.

The radio that Preston had given Elizabeth was next to her PipBoy. She clicked it on and checked the channel, but she was met only with static. It was pointless, but guilt would consume her if she didn't at least tried. She had left them behind and they wouldn’t know if she was alive or not. They wouldn’t even know that Cody had been avenged. 

_He’s still dead, what do they care?_

Elizabeth shook her head to banish the thought away. She would have to try the radio again tomorrow or after she got out of Boston. 

Light found its way into the room through the boarded up window, reflecting off a mirror in the corner. Elizabeth lifted off her tanktop, leaving her in her underwear as she stood in front of the mirror. 

Her nose was swollen, but luckily not broken. Just under her eyes her skin was turning black and blue with a fresh bruise. Her shoulder had recovered the best, the Stimpak nearly sealed the wound. It was enough she didn’t have to stitch it and could just cover it with an old rag. 

The gash along her side was another story. In her desperate attempt to escape the raider, she had rubbed up against the knife enough times to leave several deep cuts going in multiple directions. None came close to where the raider had actually stabbed her. All the extra cuts running next to the deepest one, however made it difficult to stitch. They were jagged, her flesh pulled too taught in all the wrong places. Without question, she was going to have a nasty and ugly scar. The Stimpak Hancock gave her helped, but it wasn’t enough to close all the cuts and the wound was sensitive to the touch.

The Med-X on the desk nearby remained unused. Elizabeth had thought about trying the drug after she finished her stitches. Held it in her hand, then set it aside before she could actually inject it. Cleaning up the raiders in the Commonwealth she had come into the possession of plenty of chems. She had been tempted, though never actually tried any before beyond Stimpaks and radiation treatments. Trying it in a town where she was far away from any notable allies did little to entice her either. 

She dressed in her other set of clothes, with significantly less blood on them. She had rolled up the sleeve of her black long sleeve shirt and strapped her PipBoy on when a hard knock at the door drew her attention. She ignored it at first and took the time to lace up her boots when the knocking became more insistent. 

Elizabeth gave up. Whoever it was wasn’t going away. She pulled the door open and was greeted by Clair, dressed in her white suit. She had learned quickly that Clair was easy to annoy, enough that she only hoped to see her a few more times. Not have her knocking at her door.

“You need to pay for another night if you plan on staying,” Clair snapped.

“Oh, right,” Elizabeth said. “Sorry, I just… give me a second.”

Her pack was next to Dogmeat. She tried to not wake the poor dog, but his eyes flew open when she knelt down to her bag. He wagged his tail, but didn’t raise his head off the couch. 

“If that mutt makes a mess in here, you’ll be paying for that as well!” Clair yelled. 

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but made sure her back was to the woman. It wasn’t like this is the first time she heard that. She found enough caps in the bottom of her bag and emptied them into Clair’s waiting hands. 

“Good, enjoy your stay,” Clair said. It almost sounded genuine as she shut the door on Elizabeth. 

If she stayed in the hotel the all day, she would drive herself insane. She needed to find something to do in town, that hopefully wouldn’t get her mugged or killed. She grabbed her pack and pistol off the floor, Dogmeat right on her heels as she left the room and shut the door behind them. Clair had just made it to the stairs when Elizabeth caught up with her.

“I’ve never been here before, anything to do in town?” Elizabeth asked. She strapped on her holster as they walked down the stairs.

“Do I look like a damn tour guide to you?” Clair responded.

“No, but was hoping you could point me in the right direction anyways.” Patience and kindness, it was the best she had to work with. 

Clair didn’t sound nearly as annoyed as she looked. “Everyone goes to the Third Rail, the bar under the State House. I would say drink here, but even I don’t drink that garbage.”

A bar in town was probably the best thing she had heard yet. “Thanks!” Elizabeth bounded down the stairs and rushed out onto the streets. 

The sun was high in the sky and burned her skin on contact. It made her remember that she had lost her cap in the Boston Bugle building. The ferals could have it she decided to herself. Surely there would be a new one for her back in Sanctuary. There were people on the streets, but they moved past her quickly with purpose. One of the guards, a Ghoul, nearly ran her over.

“What’s going on?” Elizabeth asked.

“Hancock’s giving a speech, better hurry up or you’ll miss it!” 

There was genuine excitement in the Ghoul’s voice. Perhaps Finn was the exception, everyone else perhaps loved and respected Hancock. If she was in his favor, that only increased her chance of surviving the town. Curiosity also propelled her forward to see what the mayor had to say.

A large group was gathered under the balcony, perhaps the whole town. Hancock stood on the balcony, responding to someone in the crowd by the time she got there. Elizabeth leaned up against the building across from the State House, her eyes on him as he continued to speak.

“The Institute!” Hancock proclaimed. “They’re the real enemy! Not the Raiders, not the Super Mutants, not even those tools over in Diamond City!” 

“I don’t know Hancock. I’d sure love to give McDonough a kick in the ass!” 

The same Ghoul that had run her over spoke up from the crowd. It made her realize that she would need to keep quiet about her goals of getting to Diamond City in Goodneighbor. It also left her to wonder what the Institute was.

“Hey, we all know I got my own personal beef with that lard-head, but stay focused!” Hancock continued. “Now I want everyone to keep the Institute in mind. When someone starts acting funny. When people are doing things they don’t normally do. When family starts pushing you away for no reason. We all know who’s behind that kind of shit. And the only way to stop it is to stick together. They can’t control us if we’re not afraid! Now who’s scared of the Institute?”

“Not us!” The crowd responded.

“And which town in the Commonwealth should the Institute not fuck with?”

“Goodneighbor!”

Hancock locked eyes with Elizabeth for a brief moment. A grin formed on his face before he continued. He ate this up, this energy.

“And who’s in charge of Goodneighbor?”

“Hancock! Of the people! For the people!”

The streets erupted in cheers. Whatever Hancock’s intentions, he had a firm grip on this town and they adored him for it. Elizabeth couldn’t help but admire him herself, he certainly knew how to get a crowd going. It took a few minutes for the peope to settle down and return to what they were doing before they had gathered up. There was an obvious newfound vigor in their step however.

Hancock remained on the balcony to watch all the citizens disperse. His eyes found Elizabeth once more, she only smiled and nodded her head to him. She quickly disappeared into the Third Rail entrance just under the balcony. 

It was an old subway station, a set of stairs right in front of her with a Ghoul blocking Elziabeth’s path. He was dressed in a tuxedo, along with a fedora to complete the look. 

“Hancock says all newcomers are welcome,” the Ghoul said. “Charlie will serve you downstairs.”

“Thanks umm…” 

“Ham,” He responded. “Just know I throw out the trouble makers.” 

Elizabeth nodded to Ham and continued down the stairs. Dogmeat clung to her leg as they walked, but he was much more relaxed than last night. Either he was still tired or he deemed the place safe enough. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, she wasn’t sure what she had expected. The Third Rail wasn't it, but it wasn't a bad thing either.

Couches and armchairs filled the main space. A bar, or rather kitchen counters shoved together to look like a bar, were against the back wall. A decent sized stage was setup to the left of the counter. There were a few people in the bar, but it was sparse. Whether it was because of Hancock’s speech or because it was still early she couldn’t know for sure. A Mr. Handy was behind the bar, cleaning the glasses. She took a seat at one of the stools, the bar unoccupied.

“What’s ya poison, ‘guv?” 

The Mr. Handy hovered in front of her and set down the glass it was cleaning. She presumed it to be Charlie, a British Mr. Handy serving drinks in the apocalypse. His bowler hat just made her whole day and she only woke up an hour ago. 

“Long shot, but got anything cold?”

“Beer, the best you’ll find in these parts. Water, if you can’t hold your liquor.”

Elizabeth placed caps on the counter. “Water, and bring me a bottle of whiskey too if you got it.”

Charlie hovered away to the other end of the bar. Dogmeat moved under her stool and laid down so he was faced towards the entrance of the Rail. Charlie returned a short few minutes later. A bottle of whiskey and glass were placed in front of her, along with a can of water. Elizabeth pressed tentative fingers to the can. To her relief, Charlie wasn’t lying. It was frigid to the touch, something she didn’t think she would find outside of the cryo pods. She pushed the money towards Charlie, along with a few extra caps.

“You daft? You can’t count?” Charlie didn’t complain that much, still taking the extra caps.

“Do people not tip anymore?” Elizabeth asked.

“Ah… sure. Sure they do.”

Elizabeth shook her head and took the can of water in her hand to press against her nose. The relief overwhelmed her, a numbness spread across her face. She poured the whiskey into the glass and took a long drink. It warmed her throat and chest as it went down. It wasn’t the best drink she had had, but it wasn’t nearly the worse either. 

“So how does a Mr. Handy come to own a bar?” 

“What? No. Ole’ Charlie just keeps the floors clean, the drinks dirty. This is Hancock’s place.”

Things were making more sense by the minute. At least she was paying Hancock now. 

“Speak of the devil himself…” Charlie muttered.

Sure enough, Hancock took the seat next to Elizabeth. A grin was still firmly planted on his face as Charlie disappeared to the other end of the bar. 

“Well look who it is,” Hancock said.

“Mr. Mayor,” Elizabeth replied. At the very least, the guy was persistent. 

“Whiskey,” he said. Elizabeth raised a brow. “Can smell it from here, my kind of girl.”

“I’m Irish, what can I say.”

If Hancock didn’t understand what she meant, he chose not to show it. Charlie placed a bottle and glass in front of Hancock as well. If he owned the bar she assumed it meant he didn’t have to announce his drink order either. 

“How’s the side, want me to take a look?” Hancock asked.

“Still trying to get my clothes off?” 

“Can’t fault a Ghoul for trying,” Hancock winked at her.

Charlie huffed and hovered away, leaving Hancock to pour his own drink. Elizabeth lowered the can of water from her face, the condensation sticking to her face and fingers. It was already getting warm after only a few short minutes. 

“It’s not the worst I’ve gotten, just doesn’t look that pretty,” Elizabeth said.

“Sounds like a story to me,” he replied.

She tapped her fingers against the can of water, trying to decide how much she actually should tell. Hancock nestled into his seat and stayed quiet as she told him about the raiders that attacked the new settlement and how they killed Cody. She conveniently left out the part about the ferals in the Boston Bugle building. 

“Goodneighbor was the closest, so I made my way here. You saw the rest,” Elizabeth concluded. 

“So what gave you that cut? Raiders or ferals?” Hancock asked. 

Elizabeth frowned, “I didn’t say anything about ferals.”

Hancock couldn’t hide the grin that spread across his face once more. “You left an easy trail to follow. I had one of my boys track to see where you came from. They could hear them through the door.”

“Why?”

“Can never be too careful these days.”

“Seems a little weird that someone would fake an injury," Elizabeth said. "Why would I do this to myself?”

“You really are fresh out of the vault. Little tip? Don’t trust anyone until you can verify whatever bullshit they are spouting.”

“Yourself included?”

“Especially me. But it’s far too late for that.”

Elizabeth shook her head in response and finished off her glass of whiskey. She poured another drink for herself, Hancock did the same.

“Is that what that speech was about? With the Institute?” Elizabeth asked.

“Like that did ya? I like to do it every once in a while, let those synth-maker bastards know that Goodneighbor is off limits. No one gets ‘replaced’ in my town.”

“I’ve never heard of a synth before.”

“Don’t tell me we have a pair of virgin ears? You just made my day!” Elizabeth felt her cheeks get warm. Hancock clearly caught sight of it, but continued on. “Synths are just like you and me. Only they didn’t get created the natural, fun way. No. They were built, by the Institute. Some of the older ones are basically just robots, but the new models? Your own mother couldn’t tell the difference. So that’s why me and mine gotta stay extra special close to one another. Any slight change might be a clue that someone’s been replaced.” 

“That doesn’t make any sense. What is to be gained by replacing people like that?”

“Hell if I know. Mess with people’s heads? Control us from the shadows? Or maybe they do it just because they can. No one knows where the Institute is, what kind of people they are, or why they’ve decided to engineer their own slaves, but there it is. Remember what I told you? Everyone is welcome in Goodneighbor, so long as you play nice?” Elizabeth nodded in response. “Synths still under the Institute, they don’t play nice.”

“Things are worse than I thought.” Elizabeth said.

“It ain’t all bad. Wasn’t always like this. I’m done talking about this though, killing the mood.” 

Elizabeth smirked, resting her head in her open palm to look at him. She sipped at her Whiskey, no longer knocking them back like before. Hancock slipped a pack of cigarettes out of his coat along with a lighter. He placed one in his lips and lit it up. He pulled an ashtray closer to himself and tapped the end into it.

The smell hit her right away and made her realize she hadn’t smoked in a year, maybe two. She stopped when she got pregnant with Shaun. Seeing the cigarette perched in Hancock’s thin lips reawakened the craving with a ravenous need.

“Don’t suppose you got another one?” Elizabeth asked and pointed to his pack on the bar.

Instead of offering her own, Hancock held out the one he had already started smoking. He smirked at her and she raised a brow in response. She took the cigarette from his hand and put it to her own lips. She took a long drag from it and let the smoke fill her lungs. She exhaled it slowly before passing the cigarette back to him. 

“A living breathing vault dweller in my city, who’s willing to share a smoke I’ve touched?" Hancock finished the cigarette off and stubbed it out in the ashtray. "The Commonwealth never ceases to amaze me.”

Elizabeth frowned. “It’s the ghoul thing right?”

It wasn’t like it was a disease, not one that he could pass on to her. She wondered if everyone was cruel to Ghouls. 

“I think it gives me a sexy king of the zombies look. Vaulties would normally disagree.”

“What, they aren’t overwhelmed by your charm and wit?”

“Are you?”

Hancock had a certain way of turning any and every conversation into a sexual innuendo. Not that she complained, she could fire right back at him when the time was right.

“I have my own thoughts about Ghouls,” she said, “but I don’t want to offend.”

“Is that what you are worried about? Can’t be any worse than what I’ve already heard. Let’s hear it, sister.”

She didn’t admit it out loud, but that’s exactly why. It was why she left out the ferals in her story. Who knew how Hancock would react, or other Ghouls for that matter. Hancock was a charmer, but volatile. He was the first Ghoul she had an extended conversation with too. 

“The Commonwealth is a little new to me, I don’t know what’s what,” Elizabeth began. “Your skin... I've only seen anything like it in a horror film, but it doesn't bother me. You’ve been far kinder to me than most I’ve met so far. I don’t know why either which makes me nervous.”

She focused on her drink, all the worst case scenarios ran through her head. It felt good to get it off her chest though without having to walk on eggshells around the man. 

“That’s the worst you got?” Hancock chuckled. “Well damn vaultie, that was mostly nice. Can’t imagine what comes out of that mouth when you’re trying for mean.” 

Elizabeth smiled and looked back to him. He had a his own smile which eased her.

“I do it because I help the people that need helping,” he said. “Of the people, for the people.” 

“You say that, but everyone has a price. Everyone wants something.”

“Quite the cynical outlook. Who pissed in your Sugar Bombs this morning?”

“What, because I’m right?”

“And what do you want, Lizzy?”

The use of her nickname surprised her. She hadn't let anyone call her by that and she tried to keep her face neutral. 

“Caps. That’s the next step.”

Hancock smirked and finished his drink. “Keep drinking. Charlie usually has work, but he doesn’t talk till you’ve had a few.” He stood from the barstool.

“Leaving already? You haven’t even asked me to bed yet.” 

Hancock chuckled. “Oh there’ll be plenty of time for that later. I have to go be mayoral and such. Enjoy yourself, sister.”

Elizabeth watched him leave. Hancock met a redhead women at the bottom of the stairs, decked out in full metal armor. The two walked side by side up the stairs and out of the bar as they exchanged words. 

_Had she been there the whole time?_

“I’d stay clear of that one,” Charlie said.

He was in front of Elizabeth once more, cleaning up after Hancock. He must have deemed it safe to come back over. 

“Who is it?” 

“Hancock’s bodyguard. Trust me guv', something about her ain’t right.”

Elizabeth didn’t argue the point. She didn’t want anymore trouble then she found on her own.

“Now that you’re done flirtin’,” Charlie said. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Got a propsition for ya. I need a dirty girl to do some dirty, dirty work. Blood on the pavement. Bodies in the ground. That kind of thing, interested?”

At least he wasn’t trying to convince her to sell her body considering how the conversation started. “I want details first.”

“I got a certain anonymous client who’s payin’ top dollar for a cleanup job," Charlie said. "Three locations. Everyone inside. No witnesses. Only catch? It’s all in town, in the old warehouses, so I can’t use my regulars. Too noticeable. That’s where you come in. The job’s two hundred caps. Payment after it’s done. And don’t worry, I’ll know when it is.”

“I’m not a hitman for hire. I’m not about to wipe out a bunch of innocent people.” Elizabeth scowled at Charlie and finished off her drink.

“Whoever said they were innocent? This is Goodneighbor, ain't nobody innocent here. If you think you’re too good to take care of this, it’s your loss,” Charlie hummed. “Plenty of other blighters that would be happy to take my caps.”

Goodneighbor did have its reputation after all. One way or another, these people were dead anyways. Was it so cruel to cash in on it before someone else did? 

“Say I was interested… we are talking three locations. Wouldn’t that mean three hundred caps?”

Charlie’s sensors spun in contemplation. “Three hundred caps, three locations. You in?”

“I’ll have to finish this later,” Elizabeth said. She slid the bottle of whiskey back to Charlie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is curious about my writing process – I write a bunch of shit down and see what sticks. This was originally 20 pages long of random things I wrote because I had nooooo idea what I wanted to happen yet. Took me two or three days to get it down to what I wanted. It was named appropriately “hot mess” in my documents while I worked out the kinks. I complain, but it feels fantastic to be writing again and to have a project.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for sticking around. And Happy St. Paddy's Day! Appreciate any and all comments and kudos!


	7. Room Service

“That dog isn't going downstairs,” Ham said.

Dogmeat only whined in response. His fur was matted with blood, none of it his own of course. He had licked the blood off his paws at least so he didn’t track it all over Goodneighbor. The dog had some semblance of manners. 

“He doesn’t look that bad,” Elizabeth muttered. 

“I shouldn’t let you in either," Ham replied. "You’re gonna scare the locals.”

Elizabeth had donned the clothes that she had worn when she first arrived in Goodneighbor. She had only made them worse. Not only were they covered in blood, but now bits of debris and dust had imbedded itself into her clothing. Her clothes were just a preview of the warehouses. Hopefully no one looked to use at least one of the warehouses since the floor collapsed when she had finished. She couldn’t wait to explain that one. 

“I just need to see Charlie and I’m gone. I won’t be long,” Elizabeth said. Ham didn’t budge, his arms crossed across his chest. “I’ll even make Dogmeat stay. Please, just ten minutes.”

Ham sighed, “Fine. Don’t make me come get you.”

Elizabeth nodded and turned to Dogmeat who just looked annoyed. She scratched the back of his neck and pointed off to the side. “You stay boy, I’ll be back.” The dog growled and stalked off.

_Worse than a child._

Elizabeth took each step as fast as her body could manage. Her head was spinning and everything ached. Sweat poured down her face. Going through the floor of that warehouse did nothing to improve her condition and only served to reopen her stitches. She wasn’t gushing blood, but she could feel the warm trickle run down her leg. At least a pile of caps were waiting for her.

The bar was packed with most of the town. Music filled the room, but the stage was empty. There was a crowd gathered around a grouping of couches and more at the bar. Charlie was slammed with people pressed against the bar. The lights were dimmed low, hopefully enough that no one would notice how she looked.

Elizabeth pushed her way to the bar and waited to catch Charlie's eye. A few people shoved elbows into her back while she waited, trying to get to the front. She tried not to react, but it made her whole body burn with each unwelcomed touch. Charlie finally caught sight of her several minutes later, his sensors spun as he moved towards her.

“What the hell did you do in that warehouse, ‘guv?” Charlie pulled a bottle of whiskey out from under the bar. Her bottle from before specifically.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking Charlie,” Elizabeth muttered. 

“I heard that,” Charlie answered. 

She pulled the bottle closer to herself. “There were some structural issues, nothing I could help.” 

Truly it wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t like she asked the Triggermen to throw her through the floorboards. 

“Will deal with that later,” Charlie said. Robots were hard to read, but he didn’t seem that annoyed. More likely, he would just mock her. “I assume you took care of our rat problem? Considering how you look.”

“I wouldn't know anything about that. Thought I might have left something behind last time I was here.”

“You know, you did leave a rather large purse of caps behind on your last visit." Charlie placed a sack on the counter, the clinging of caps made Elizabeth smile. "Should be more careful. Luckily ole’ Charlie is watchin’ out for you.”

She snatched the bag off the counter and slipped it into her pack, along with the bottle of whiskey. 

“Pleasure doing business with ya,” Elizabeth said. 

She didn’t waste any time and pushed her way through the crowd, back towards the stairs. She really didn’t want to upset Ham and she was certain she was close to her ten minute limit. Besides, there was a bed calling her name. 

By the time she got to the stairs, she was greeted with the sight of a familiar Ghoul. Hancock was leaned against the wall and watched her as she approached. His eyes, dark as they were, seemed to glow. She didn’t want to admit it, but his presence had become comforting in a short amount of time. She may have been in the most dangerous town of the Commonwealth, but Hancock made it seem like she was in Sanctuary. Not that she would admit it to him.

“Glad you took my advice,” Hancock said when she was in earshot. “Made life a little easier.”

“I’m sorry?” Elizabeth replied.

“It’s my bar, who do you think Charlie’s anonymous client was?”

 _Of course it was Hancock._

She never even asked Charlie who the job was for, just wanted the caps at the end. It almost felt better not knowing. But if it was for Hancock, it didn’t bother her either. It was the first step to repaying him for his kindness. 

“So what did they do to piss you off?” She asked. 

“Political squabbles, the usual. Happens once in a while.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. It took all her willpower not to cringe from the sudden rush of pain. It was the Deathclaw attack all over again. For once she wanted to do a job without coming out broken after. “C’mon, stay. Have a drink!”

She smiled weakly to try and hide her discomfort. Not that they could see much, it was dark by the stairs too. She stepped out of his hold and went up a few steps to put her back to him. 

“Ham said I couldn’t stay looking like this. Worried I’m going to scare everyone.”

“Vaultie, you gotta stay,” Hancock begged. “Please? I never say that word either.”

Elizabeth laughed, “At least let me change?” She turned to face him. “I’m covered in blood and rubble.”

“Well you do look like hell…” 

“See, that’s not what you say to a girl you’re trying to bed.”

Hancock grinned, “Oh, I still think my chances are good.” He walked up the stairs so he stood at eye level with her. He placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. “You sure you’re all right? What happened?”

There was actual concern in his voice, she could hear it. His hand was rough against her skin, like callouses. His fingers radiated warmth, too much against her boiling skin. She leaned against the wall behind her, the cold subway wall counteracting his own heat. 

“I may or may not have collapsed the second floor of a warehouse. Structurally unsound.” Hancock was trying not to laugh and failing at it. Even in the dark, his face was obvious. She grumbled, “I’m fine, glad I can make you laugh."

"Oh c'mon, vaultie. I don't mean anything by it, truly." 

He still held her and her mind was swimming. She couldn't understand how someone who came off so dangerous was also so reassuring. Elizabeth grabbed him by the wrist. 

"I need to get cleaned up, then I'll come back," she said. 

Eventually, Hancock released her and took a step back. “I’ll see you in a bit, doll,” he said.

Elizabeth continued up the stairs. It took all her strength to keep a normal pace and to hide the discomfort that ran through her body. Hancock had done enough for her and she didn’t want him to offer her more help. Someday, she would have to learn to take care of herself. She locked eyes with him briefly as she rounded the corner up the rest of the stairs.

* * *

It was dawn by the time Hancock found his way out of the Third Rail. He waited two hours for Elizabeth to come back. By the third hour, he gave up checking every time someone walked down the stairs. He let those doe eyes sucker him into thinking she was actually interested. He knew better, but couldn’t help himself.

Fahrenheit talked him into sleeping off all the Jet and alcohol. It was the best way to deal with the crushing disappointment instead of bringing a random drifter to bed. It was the middle of the afternoon when Hancock took his first steps outside the Statehouse.

The town was bustling like normal, a trade caravan parked outside of Daisy’s. He couldn’t help but look to where Finn’s corpse was just a few days prior. One of the watch tossed a bucket of water at the blood stain, but it had already seeped into the cobblestone. It would take a few weeks before it would finally fade. At least it added character.

Hancock dug into his pockets for his usual morning fix. He popped two or three Mentats into his mouth and made slow methodical steps towards his destination. His first stop were the warehouses. Some of the watch had already cleaned out most of the dead overnight. The last warehouse though was another story. 

The one closest to the merchant stands was a mess. Elizabeth hadn’t been lying, a large portion of the second floor had collapsed. A corpse was buried underneath the debris with a noticeable depression nearby, presumably were she had fallen as well. The stairs were still intact, but how safe they were was questionable. 

“Your girlfriend really fucked this place,” Fahrenheit said. 

Fahrenheit was leaned against the wall inside. She had tasked herself with managing the cleanup effort and to account for the dead. They had to be certain all the leaders of the group were actually disposed of after all. 

“Not my girl, but I’m impressed the vaultie did all this by herself,” Hancock said.

“Still sour she stood you up?”

“Oh leave it,” Hancock growled. “Besides, I’m not supposed to know what happened here.” 

“Yet here you are,” Fahrenheit said.

“Well I did hear an awful lot of gunfire last night… Just needed to check to make sure the right people were dead.”

“So far, so good.” Fahrenheit passed him an unlit cigarette. “Shouldn’t have to worry about retaliation.”

Elizabeth had been loud, but efficient. If she decided to stick around, he knew who to ask if he needed more cleanup work. It was hard not to think about her. She invaded all of his thoughts. A million other things needed his attention and he was distracted by one woman. A vault dweller no less. But everything about her had been unexpected. She may have been lost in the Commonwealth, but her independence and stubborn attitude drew him in. He could only hope that the Commonwealth wouldn’t swallow her up like it did most things. 

One of the watch touched his shoulder and pulled him out of his thoughts. 

“What?” Hancock snapped.

“Clair has been askin’ for you at the Hotel, boss. Said it’s urgent.”

The guard took steps away from Hancock. Hancock came off harsher than he meant. Elizabeth really was a distraction. “You got things from here?” Hancock asked. He looked to Fahrenheit.

“Didn't I before you showed up?” She replied.

Hancock didn't say anymore and left the warehouse. He lit the cigarette Fahrenheit gave him for his walk. His respect for Rexford had dwindled over the years since his takeover. Marowski didn’t pull in the caps like he used to. Or he was holding out with his chem trade. In either case, he avoided Hancock like he was radioactive waste. 

That left Clair. He had a begrudged respect for the vicious, old woman. Where Daisy was kind without a care in the world, Clair was a nasty spitfire. Anger she had no problem unleashing onto Hancock. She was also brutally honest, even if it made Marowski look like the ass he was. At least she was fair. 

Hancock stepped through the doors of Rexford. There were a few people downstairs, but for the most part it was empty as usual. Clair was behind her desk, her arms crossed and glaring daggers into Hancock as he approached. 

“I sent someone to get your hours ago,” Clair snarled. 

“You know as well as everyone else that I don’t respond to anything before noon. At best.”

Hancock stamped out his cigarette in the ash tray at Clair’s desk. His indifference only caused her wrinkles to grow deeper in frustration.

“Do you hear that?” Clair asked.

She went silent and Hancock tried to focus his hearing. Nothing he heard was out of the ordinary. Nothing he would of noticed anyways.

“You’re gonna have to give me a hint here, sister.”

“That girl you let into town? The vault dweller. She’s been holed up in her room and won’t answer the door. She owes me rent for tonight and that mutt of her’s has been barking all night.” 

Hancock bit back his real response. He already knew where this was going. “I don’t see how this concerns me.”

“You let the freeloader in, you take care of her,” Clair answered. “I expect payment for tonight too.”

“Again, not my problem Clair. It’s your hotel, you deal with it.”

“Marwoski wants nothing to do with your new fling, he just wants to get paid.”

Hancock frowned. If that was how everyone saw Elizabeth, he prayed that she never heard it. He wasn’t sure how she would actually react. Hancock leaned against the desk and waited. There was more to this and Clair would spill soon enough. 

Clair sighed and continued. “You killed Finn for her, Marwoski doesn’t want to be next. Deal with her, Hancock.”

 _Typical._

“Fine,” Hancock said. “The key.” 

He held out his hand expectantly. Clair obeyed and placed the door key in his hand.

“Top floor, last door on the right. But I’m sure the barking will lead the way.”

Hancock climbed the stairs, not sure what to expect. He was starting to feel like he had been played though. Elizabeth finally made a few caps and now she was trying to cheat Clair. If she was betting on him to bail her out of trouble like this, she was in for a rude awakening.

When he got to the top floor, he could hear Dogmeat barking, followed by a low whine. It was frantic and he heard the door rattle. The dog was trying its damnedest to knock the door off its hinges. Any longer and he just might. Hancock quickened his pace. Dogmeat must have heard his approach because he threw his whole body into the door twice and barked the whole time.

“Hope you’re decent, sister,” Hancock yelled over the barking. “I’m coming in.”

Hancock inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. Dogmeat launched past him, nearly knocking him to the ground. He was still barking while he pressed his head into the back of Hancock’s knees. The dog forced him into the room, not giving Hancock the chance to get away.

The first thing that hit him was the smell. The dog must have pissed somewhere in the room, the scent intertwining with the general mustiness of the room. Then he spotted Elizabeth, passed out in the bed. Somehow, she was still asleep.

She was dressed in her clothes from last night, blood mixed with dust. Her flannel was unbuttoned and her shirt was rolled up to just under her breasts. There was a Med-X syringe by her bedside table. Hancock checked the syringe, but it was unused. Sweat was dripping down her face, her cheeks flushed against her pale skin. 

That’s when he saw her side. She had left the cut exposed, her bandage pulled back. Some of the stitches had snapped, blood mixed with puss dripped from the wound. The skin all around it was turned to a bright red and her skin pulled taught. Beyond the stitch job being garbage, it was seriously infected. 

“Oh shit,” Hancock muttered.

He pressed the back of his hand to Elizabeth’s forehead. She was almost as warm as he was. Her breathing was shallow and she didn’t react to his touch. He gave her a light shake, but she still didn't respond. Not sure what else to do, Hancock slipped one arm under her shoulders, the other under her knees and lifted her off the bed. Dogmeat calmed down at the sight, reduced to whines. Hancock wasted no time and rushed out the room, the dog on his heels to press him forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to try and get another chapter out next week. I'll try to keep this updated every week, but real life is hitting me in the face. Luckily, I have most of the next chapter done already. 
> 
> Appreciate all the comments and kudos as usual, you guys are great!


	8. Oh Fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What dipshit said they would have the next chapter out in week?
> 
> Oh wait... that was me. At least the chapter is appropriately titled.
> 
> Far Cry 5 sucked me in more than I expected and I wanted to get this chapter out before God of War comes today. It's short, but a nice fluffy chapter :3 I have another chapter in the pipelines that is going through some edits. You won't see it for a week or two so you guys don't think I forgot you. Enjoy and thank you for all the kudos and comments!

It was the constant wave of pain flowing through her entire body that brought Elizabeth out of her dreamless sleep. Everything ached and she couldn’t shake the haze from her vision when she did open her eyes. It felt like she was trapped in a fog that she couldn’t escape.

She felt around the bed, but couldn’t find Dogmeat. She was sure he crawled into bed with her after she had fallen asleep. At least she thought he had, she couldn’t remember actually falling asleep. After a few minutes the haze lifted and the room came into focus. She was certain it wasn’t her room at the hotel. Definitely not her bed. 

She quickly scrambled out of the bed and hit the floor on all fours. She instantly regretted it. The dull ache turned to a searing fire that expanded from her abdomen. She couldn’t hold back a scream and thought she was going to pass out as her vision went dark.

“Hey, someone get your boss!” a voice shouted. 

All thoughts of how much pain she felt were replaced with hysteria. There was someone in the room with her. Kidnapped. She had actually gotten herself kidnapped. 

Elizabeth felt a presence loom over her, a hand on her shoulder. Whoever it was, she planned on making them regret ever trying to touch her. She wildly flung out her fist and connected with flesh. She backed away as fast as her body could manage and pressed herself against the wall behind her. 

Whoever she hit had cried out. Her vision cleared enough and she could see he was young, maybe in his late twenties. His cap was on the ground next to him as he clutched his nose. Blood gushed through his fingers. She tried to use the wall to stand, but her legs protested and her knees gave out from under her. 

“All right, enough.”

Elizabeth instantly recognized the raspy voice from the other side of the room. Hancock was standing in the doorway with someone from the neighborhood watch, but the room was dark and made it difficult to see him.

“Quit bleedin’ on my floor MacCready and get out,” Hancock snapped. 

MacCready, the one she had punched, hurried off the floor and out the room. He was in such a rush out the room, his hat remained on the ground. Elizabeth felt another presence close and quickly pulled her knees into her chest to make herself as small as possible. 

“Hey, you’re all right Vaultie,” Hancock assured, his voice much closer and softer.

Elizabeth took the time to focus on her breathing as the room came back into focus. Hancock was knelt down in front of her, the watch gone with MacCready. He kept a respectable distance away and didn’t try to touch her. She glanced at her fist and saw that fresh blood stained her knuckles. He might not have a nose to break, but he was clearly not interested in getting hit too. 

“W-What-“ Elizabeth started to ask.

“You were in some deep shit,” Hancock interrupted. “You had a bad infection, so I took you to Dr. Amari.”

It felt like her stomach dropped out of her body. Any of the fear that had dissipated instantly returned. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. 

“Don’t apologize,” he responded. He inched forward slowly and offered a hand out to her. “Let me help you back into bed.”

A few moments passed between the two as Elizabeth started to realize her true circumstance. What occurred before she seemingly passed out was a blur. She remembered getting her pay for the warehouse job from Charlie and speaking to Hancock. Then she left the Third Rail and things got a little fuzzy. 

One thing for sure, Hancock had no reason to lie to her like this. She took his hand while his other hand went around her waist and helped get her feet under her. She felt weak and pathetic, all by her own doing. She silently hoped she didn’t actually pass out in the street. It would just serve to embarrass her further. 

“Gotta admit,” Hancock muttered, “This was not how I pictured getting you in my bed.”

Her face suddenly felt warm as he lowered her back into the bed. 

“Your bed?” Elizabeth asked.

“Clair’s not too happy that your mutt pissed on the couch at the hotel.”

“He… oh fuck.”

Hancock chuckled. “Relax. I smoothed things over with her, but they don’t want you back.”

Elizabeth laid her head back into the pillows, unable to hide her frustration. She had purposely gone out of her way to avoid inconveniencing Hancock. She remembered that much. Instead, all she had done was incur an even larger debt to him. She couldn’t help but glance down at herself.

There was a web of bruises all across her body. Her legs and arms had turned an unnatural shade of blue and brown. She could only picture what she looked like under her clothes without stripping in front of Hancock, which left her to wonder what was worse. A deathclaw or going through the second floor of a building. It was then she noticed she was wearing clothes she didn’t recognize, a black t-shirt and a pair of shorts. 

“Where are my clothes?” Elizabeth asked.

“Trying to salvage what’s left of them,” Hancock said casually. “I didn’t want blood in my bed.”

“Did you… you changed my clothes?” 

She tried not to sound horrified or accusatory, but she didn’t know Hancock that well. Not enough that she wanted him undressing her unconscious body. He quickly raised his hands in surrender and took a step back from the bed.

“I didn’t do it,” He said. “Amari did. A doctor I would like to remind you of. I just provided the clothes.”

“Shorts, really?”

“Thinkin’ only of your health and comfort.” He laughed and lowered his hands.

 _And a better view,_ Elizabeth finished for him in her head. “I’m sorry, what I said was rude. I’ve been nothing but a bother to you.”

“Lizzy, will you quit apologizing?” Hancock replied. Elizabeth opened her mouth to say more, but promptly closed it when he held up a hand. “We can discuss the specifics of ‘what’s owed’ when you don’t have that pained look on your face.” 

“I feel fine,” she muttered. 

“Of course you do.” The sarcasm dripped off his words. 

“Then I should go,” She said. “If I can’t go back to the hotel, I should be upstairs. I don’t want to put you out of your own bedroom.” 

As if on cue, Dogmeat bursted into the room and launched himself onto the bed. He whined and pressed his head against Elizabeth’s shoulder. The point of impact radiated out a fresh flood of pain from her shoulder. She couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped her lips. Dogmeat backed away from her and stomped his feet in frustration.

“That’s why you’re staying put,” Hancock said. “And as much as I want to join you,” He shot a glare at Dogmeat who huffed and laid down. He took up the other half of the bed, seemingly on purpose too. “I’ll be fine on the couch.” 

Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh at his admission, even if it did hurt. “Losing out to a dog, huh?”

“Don’t rub it in.” She smiled in response. “You hungry? Thirsty?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you lying to me?”

“If I say no, you won’t believe me anyways.”

“Not a chance.”

Hancock left the room for only a short few minutes. He came back with a can of water and some kind of jerky. He gave the jerky to Elizabeth first while he worked to open the can of water. She was tempted to ask what it was, but the Commonwealth taught her so far it was usually best not to know. 

She took her first bite and her stomach did a violent roll. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since she ate. Not since her first night she came to Goodneighbor at least. She ate the rest of it quickly and left a small bite behind for Dogmeat. He thumped his tail against the bed, excited for what was about to come his way. 

“He’s getting fed,” Hancock said. “Don’t let him fool you.”

“But he’s such a good boy and deserves a treat,” She baby talked to Dogmeat and gave him the last bite. She scratched the back of his neck as he laid his head back down next to her. Hancock passed her the can of water and somehow managed not to say anything snarky. “Is that guy going to be ok?”

“MacCready? It builds character.”

“I didn’t mean it, I thought…”

“If I hear an apology out of you-”

“I won’t!” Elizabeth said.

“Better.” Hancock smiled. She finished off the can of water and reached for the nearby end table to set it down. The motion made her shudder with pain. She wondered if she had broken another rib. Hancock grabbed the can from her hand and set it aside for her. “I got a Stimpak and shot of Med-X with your name on it.”

“I’ve never taken chems before,” she said.

“Now don’t lie, this is your third dose.” Hancock grinned. “Relax, sister. It will make you feel better.” 

He grabbed two syringes from the end table and sat on the bed in front of her. The first one he held was a Stimpak. Those she had gotten used to. He took her arm and injected it with ease, the satisfying hiss filling the silence. It did nothing for the pain, but she knew it would help heal her faster. 

The second syringe was different though, the Med-X. The purple liquid seemed to glow in the dark room. He reached for her arm once more, but she recoiled away. Whether Hancock was telling the truth about her multiple doses or not, she was still scared. She had avoided chems for a reason. Hancock frowned in response.

“Here,” Hancock said. “I’ll stick it in me first so you can see there’s nothin’ to worry about. Usually a Mentat Ghoul myself, but I’ll suffer through this.”

He rolled up the sleeve of his jacket and expertly found a vein in his arm with the needle. He blinked a few times before he shook his head. He removed the syringe from his arm and waited a few seconds for the chems to kick in. He flexed his hand once, twice. He rolled his sleeve back down to hide his scarred flesh and turned his dark eyes back to her. He looked the same as before.

“See?” Hancock said. “Nothin’ wrong with me. Just going to fuck me up later with my other chems.” He stood from the bed and placed the empty syringe on the end table. He took a fresh one and sat in front of her. “Your turn?”

Elizabeth, reluctantly, extended her arm out to him. Hancock grabbed her by the wrist and gave it a light squeeze. Just like he had done on himself, he easily found a vein and slid the needle into her skin.

Numbness spread from her arm to the rest of her body, the pain eaten away. It made her body feel even weaker and the world fuzzy. Hancock laid her arm at her side as her eyelids started to feel too heavy. Her words were slurred, but she thought she managed to say ‘thank you’ before the darkness consumed her again.


End file.
